Rishi Sunak announces major new plan to FINALLY end Post Office scandal after decades of injustice

Rishi Sunak announces major new plan to FINALLY end Post Office scandal after decades of injustice
Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 10/01/2024

- 12:07

Updated: 10/01/2024

- 12:39

Sunak made the announcement at Prime Minister's Questions today

Rishi Sunak has unveiled a major new plan to end the Post Office scandal after decades of injustice.

The Prime Minister confirmed the Government will introduce new primary legislation to exonerate those convicted as a result of the Horizon IT software.


The legislation will also see compensation handed to the victims of the scandal.

Sunak told MPs at PMQS: "Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated.

Sunak

Sunak described the scandal as "one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history"

Parliament TV

“We will also introduce a new up-front payment of £75,000 for the vital GLO (group litigation order) group of postmasters.”

He described the scandal as "one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history".

The PM added: “People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation.”

He told MPs that business minister Kevin Hollinrake will set out “more details to the House”, in a statement at 12.30pm.

Sunak said: “We will make sure that the truth comes to light, we right the wrongs of the past and the victims get the justice they deserve.”

More than 700 sub-postmasters were handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 after faulty software wrongly suggested the employees were stealing money.

Today's PMQs also saw Ed Davey come under fire for the role he is said to have played in the scandal.

Shouts could be heard in the Commons with MPs demanding to know where the MP was amid growing anger over the Post Office scandal.

The Liberal Democrat leader, who served as minister for postal affairs between 2010 and 2012 in the coalition government, was noticeably missing from the Commons during PMQs.

WATCH: Ed Davey says the Post Office 'lied' to him 

Tory MP Lee Anderson urged him to quit, telling the MP to "clear his desk, clear his diary and clear off".

Davey was knighted in the 2016 New Year's Honours List for "political and public service".

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.

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