Call Toby Jones – Post Office drama could be due a sequel

Just as ministers thought the public outcry over the treatment of hundreds subpostmasters was beginning to die down, allegations of a new scandal threaten to engulf the government. Kate Devlin explains

Toby Jones should clear his diary. Extraordinary new allegations suggest his hit ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, could be due a sequel. And the escalating row also threatens to spread to other areas where victims are still waiting for compensation.

What is the Post Office Horizon scandal?

It has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history. More than 700 branch managers were given criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software made it appear as though money was missing. The official inquiry into the Horizon scandal heard that Fujitsu executives knew of faults with the system as early as 2008. But the prosecutions continued until 2015.

What has happened now?

The former chair of the Post Office says he was told to “stall” on compensation for subpostmasters ahead of the general election. Henry Staunton, who was in the job less than a year, said he had been told to allow the Tories to “limp into” the vote.

The government recently admitted that the final compensation bill could be a whopping £1bn. That is because those whose convictions are quashed are eligible for a £600,000 compensation payment, or potentially more. Others affected will also be able to claim different amounts.

But some believe the amounts are little compensations for lives ruined.

What does the government say?

It is fair to say the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, has come out fighting. She has accused Mr Staunton of “lies” and said she had removed him from his post because of “concerns over his conduct”.

She also accused him of a “lack of grip getting justice for postmasters”. She added that “details will emerge soon enough as I won’t let the matter rest here, but will be discussing with (government) lawyers”.

The government has also denied the allegations. It says ministers sped up compensation payments and encouraged other postmasters to come forward with claims.

What happens next?

Ms Badenoch is expected to make a statement to MPs on Monday. She is likely to face intense questioning from opposition MPs.

She personally sacked Mr Staunton, a well-respected business figure, a few weeks ago in a move he claims he first heard about when he received a phone call from Sky News.

There are also questions being asked about other compensation schemes. The government has been accused of dragging its feet over payments to those affected by the infected blood scandal. Ministers can also expect to face questions about whether they are “stalling” on compensation for those people as well.

Someone call Toby Jones’s agent.