Ed Davey has been accused of trying to "dodge the bullet" over the Post Office scandal, after he was missing from the Commons during last night's ministerial statement on the issue.
This comes amid growing calls for Davey to resign, as anger over his role in the scandal grows.
Senior Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh, who served in the same ministerial role as Davey from 1990 to 1993, suggested the Liberal Democrat leader's stance on the issue was "reprehensible".
Speaking after the minister with responsibility for the post office, Kevin Hollinrake, gave a statement, Leigh told the Commons: "I’m glad that the minister is asserting the principle of ministerial responsibility, which has been very clear long since the Crichel Down case, where even if the minister isn’t personally responsible he is responsible for what goes wrong”.
Ed Davey has been accused of trying to "dodge the bullet" over the Post Office scandal
PA
In comments that alluded to Davey, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough added: "When I was minister for the Post Office that was made clear to me, and I think it’s reprehensible that at least one of my successors is trying to dodge the bullet in this way and just say 'Oh I was given the wrong advice'.
"If we own the Post Office, the minister is responsible and that is a principle we have to establish."
Davey served as Minister for the Post Office between 2010 and 2012 in the coalition government.
He is being accused of having turned down a meeting with campaigner and former sub-postmaster Alan Bates while he fought for justice for postal workers.
But the Lib Dem leader has attempted to distance himself from the scandal, claiming he was "deeply misled" about the situation during his time as post office minister.
More than 700 sub-postmasters were handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 after faulty software wrongly suggested the employees were stealing money.
It has since emerged that Davey, along with several other ministers, faced repeated warnings about the accounting problems and issues with the software.
A spokesperson for the Lib Dem politician said he "bitterly regrets” that the Post Office was not honest with him.
They added that "in hindsight", Davey wishes that he could have done more.
Ex-postmistress Sally Stringer called for a "concerted effort to get the responsible individuals", claiming that the root of the scandal “goes back to ministerial decisions” - some of which she described as being “wicked”.
Giving evidence to the ongoing public inquiry, Stringer said: "There has to be a concerted effort to get the responsible individuals.
"It needs to be done as a block, otherwise those responsible will walk away nicely. I would like Vince Cable and Edward Davey to be cross-examined about what they knew and did.”
She added: " I think the problems with Post Office Limited goes back to ministerial decisions taken during the coalition government of the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives formed in 2010.
"The ministerial decisions range from incompetent to wicked."
Tory MP Michael Fabricant agreed, telling GB News that Davey has "serious questions to answer".
The MP also invited the House of Commons Business Select Committee to "make their own investigations" into Davey.
Paul Scully, who was the minister for postal affairs from 2020 to 2022, accused Davey of failing to stand up for sub-postmasters.
He said: "He's now airbrushing that he didn't ask questions at the time. It doesn't feel like he was asking robust enough questions.
"He is trying to palm it off as something that happened ten years ago. He's not a bit-part player in this."
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said Davey did meet with postmasters while he was Post Office minister, claiming he did raise their concerns.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Post Office outrage escalates as Sunak joins calls to strip Paula Vennells of CBE
- Post Office scandal victims demand Ed Davey QUIT as fresh revelations emerge
- 'Self-centred' Sadiq Khan slammed for 'taking cash from the poorest' with 'unfair' Ulez
The spokesperson added: "Ed completely understands the victims’ anger at this appalling miscarriage of justice, and in hindsight he wishes he could have done more to help them.
"His focus is now on getting justice and compensation as quickly as possible to all those affected.
"Ed deeply regrets not realising that the Post Office was lying to him and other ministers on an industrial scale in what amounts to a conspiracy against the public.
"He will fully cooperate with the inquiry and is keen to give his evidence as soon as possible to help get to the bottom of this scandal.”
Liberal Democrat MP and former leader Tim Farron said: "Ed has said how much he regrets that the Post Office was lying to him, just like it was to everyone else. He’s experienced more than his fair share of tragedy in his life, I know he feels the pain of those affected by this scandal very deeply.”
The Liberal Democrats have been approached for comment about Sir Edward Leigh's remarks.