Post Office should be handed over to postmasters, former boss says

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

admin

The Post Office should be “handed over” to postmasters, its former chairman has said, accusing the government of using it as a “fig leaf” for stalling and evasion.

In a letter seen exclusively by Sky News, Henry Staunton told the business and trade committee the government has “consistently hidden behind the Post Office’s skirts, spinning their way away from trouble”.

He also accused the Department for Business and Trade of not owning up to their “failings” or doing “the decent thing” by sub-postmasters.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly convicted of theft and false accounting based on evidence from faulty Horizon IT software between 1999 and 2015.

Mr Staunton, who was sacked in January, wrote to Liam Byrne, the chair of the business and trade committee, after an explosive meeting on Tuesday.

MPs were told by the former Post Office chairman that its current chief executive, Nick Read, was under investigation.

Mr Staunton was answering questions about an internal probe into his own behaviour and about allegations he made that he had been told to stall on compensation payments to victims while he was chairman.

In the letter he said: “The government cannot continue to dodge its responsibilities, pretending in public to be all heart and compassion, while it allows stony-faced lawyers to rack up their hours doing their best to prevaricate and penny-pinch.”

Describing “deep dysfunction” within the Post Office, he also called for a “hard, concrete deadline” for victim compensation, “ideally no more than six months”.

He also said the company needs to be “removed completely” from the compensation process and called for an independent body to take over.

In his damning assessment, Mr Staunton said postmasters are “dying as the government attempts to evade its obligations. It’s the oldest trick in the book.”

As well as stating compensation should be increased by £600,000 to £1m for each convicted post master, he said the Post Office should be taken out of government control by “handing it over, lock, stock and barrel to the post masters themselves.”

The letter, Mr Staunton stated, is about setting down “some further thoughts on what now needs to be done”.

It is the latest in a war of words between Mr Staunton and government officials.

Last week, business secretary Kemi Badenoch told the Commons there was “no evidence whatsoever” of Henry Staunton’s account that he was told to stall on compensation payments.

The slow pace at which former sub-postmasters are receiving compensation has, however, led to fierce criticism from victims, lawyers and politicians.

Earlier this week the government announced new measures to speed up the process, including an interim payment of £450,000 for those who have had convictions overturned.

Sky News has contacted the Post Office for comment.

A source at the Department for Business and Trade said: “While the government continues to do all it can to deliver justice for the postmasters, Henry Staunton is still making this all about him: trying to deflect from his terrible tenure as chair of the Post Office and the newspaper interview he gave that has fallen apart under scrutiny.

“We won’t be distracted by this constant mud-flinging, and we hope Mr Staunton will now decide a period of silence is the best way forward.”

UK

Ireland pledging emergency legislation to send asylum seekers back to UK in wake of Rwanda bill being passed

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2024

admin

Ireland pledging emergency legislation to send asylum seekers back to UK in wake of Rwanda bill being passed

Ireland is pledging emergency legislation enabling it to send asylum seekers back to the UK.

More than 80% of recent arrivals in the republic came via the land border with Northern Ireland, Irish justice minister Helen McEntee told a parliamentary committee last week.

Rishi Sunak told Sky News it showed the UK’s Rwanda scheme was already working as a deterrent after it finally became law last week.

Ireland’s deputy prime minister has said the threat of deportation to Rwanda is causing migrants to head for Ireland instead of the UK.

Micheal Martin said the policy was already affecting Ireland because people are “fearful” of staying in the UK.

The former taoiseach told The Daily Telegraph: “Maybe that’s the impact it was designed to have.”

Simon Harris, Ireland’s latest leader, has asked Ms McEntee to “bring proposals to cabinet to amend existing law regarding the designation of safe ‘third countries’ and allowing the return of inadmissible international protection applicants to the UK”, a spokesman said.

Ms McEntee said she will be meeting UK Home Secretary James Cleverly in London on Monday.

“There are many reasons why we have seen an increase in migration towards Ireland,” she told RTE.

“My focus as minister for justice is making sure that we have an effective immigration structure and system.

“That’s why I’m introducing fast processing, that’s why I’ll have emergency legislation at cabinet this week to make sure that we can effectively return people to the UK, and that’s why I’ll be meeting with the home secretary to raise these issues on Monday.”

People are now “worried” about coming to the UK, Rishi Sunak has said.

He told Sky News: “If people come to our country illegally, but know that they won’t be able to stay here, they are much less likely to come, and that’s why the Rwanda scheme is so important.”

Mr Sunak said the comments from Irish politicians show that “illegal migration is a global challenge”.

“[That] is why you’re seeing multiple countries talk about doing third country partnerships, looking at novel ways to solve this problem, and I believe [they] will follow where the UK has led,” he said.

Shadow minister Wes Streeting said it was unlikely a Labour government would bring people back from Rwanda if some are sent there.

“Once people are settled in Rwanda, they’re settled in Rwanda,” he told Sky News, adding it was doubtful that Labour would “unpick that situation”.

Regarding illegal migration in general, he said it required “putting the money that’s gone to Rwanda into the National Crime Agency so we can have proper cross-border policing to tackle the criminal gangs, speeding up the processing of decision-making, making sure we’ve got serious returns agreements with other countries”.

He added: “Those are solutions that can work.”

UK

Prince Harry returning to UK for first time since visiting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2024

admin

Prince Harry returning to UK for first time since visiting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis

Prince Harry is returning to the UK next month for the first time since his rushed visit to see the King after his cancer diagnosis.

The Duke of Sussex will attend a ceremony on 8 May marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

The service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral is the first major event he has attended in Britain for some time.

It is not known if any other royals will be in attendance at the service, or if the Duchess of Sussex or the couple’s children will be in the UK.

Harry made a brief trip to the UK in February, spending about 45 minutes with his father, who had just started treatment for cancer.

The duke is expected to provide a reading at the event, which marks a decade since the inaugural Invictus Games in London in 2014.

The games were founded as a sporting event for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.

Actor Damian Lewis is set to recite the Invictus poem during the service.

Representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community, will also be in attendance.

UK

Man dies after parachuting incident in County Durham

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2024

admin

Man dies after parachuting incident in County Durham

A man has died following a parachute incident at an industrial estate in County Durham.

Police were called to South West industrial estate in Shotton near Peterlee at 12.30pm on Saturday.

A man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are appealing for anyone who has dash cam footage of the moments leading up to the fatal incident.

They said they are treating the death as unexpected and inquiries are ongoing.

Fire and ambulance services also attended, Durham Constabulary said.

Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, who is leading the investigation, said: “Officers are keen to speak to anyone who was travelling on the A19 at around 12.20pm to 12.30pm who may have mobile phone or dashcam footage which captures the moments leading up to the incident.

“Our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this time.”