Ministers are meeting today to discuss the Horizon scandal, as the petition to remove the CBE from ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells reached one million signatures.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and postal minister Kevin Hollinrake will discuss the scandal in the wake of renewed scrutiny following the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which tells how former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses were held liable by the Post Office for financial discrepancies thrown up by its computerised accounting system.
Meanwhile, the demands to remove Ms Vennells’ CBE reached a new milestone overnight just four days after the final episode of the drama. At the time, Ms Vennells oversaw the organisation and routinely denied problems with the system.
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There are growing calls for the government to quash all the prosecutions of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses, with some even demanding the Post Office be suspended from bringing its own prosecutions.
Lord James Arbuthnot, a former Tory MP who campaigned on the scandal, told Sky News that “the idea that a corporation which itself is being investigated by the police should start prosecuting people is absurd”.
The last episode of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office aired on Thursday. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
The petition to remove Ms Vennells’ honour is addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, the chair of the Cabinet Office’s Forfeiture Committee.
It says: “Evidence has been produced that the Post Office engaged in a mass cover-up which led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office Staff many of whom were subsequently jailed, bankrupted and in some cases, sadly took their own lives.
“Having been handed a CBE for services to the Post Office, and moved out into other senior positions in government and healthcare, it is only right that this award is now withdrawn through the process of forfeiture.”
Rishi Sunak has said the government is “looking at” the option of exonerating the Post Office branch managers involved in the scandal.
The prime minister confirmed that Mr Chalk is considering ways of helping to clear the names of those convicted in what has been called the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.
Lord Arbuthnot added that he wrote to David Cameron when he was prime minister about Horizon, but was not aware if he actually saw the communications.
He added that “no party” and “none of us politicians” come out well from the scandal – saying calls on former postal minister Sir Ed Davey to answer questions are a “red herring”.
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The Metropolitan Police also confirmed that it is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences after the handling of the Horizon IT scandal.
The organisation’s pursuit of branch managers led to more than 700 prosecutions, criminal convictions and, in some cases, prison sentences.
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A summary of the Post Office scandal making the headlines
Reports suggest that since Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers.
A public inquiry into the scandal is also ongoing.
Ms Vennells has previously said she is “truly sorry” for the “suffering” caused to sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of offences.