Post Office chairman Henry Staunton ousted amid row with government

Published

1 year ago

January 27, 2024

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The chairman of the Post Office is being forced out of the role amid frustration in Whitehall over the state-owned company’s governance as it reels from the Horizon IT scandal.

Sky News has learnt that Henry Staunton, who only became chairman of the Post Office in December 2022 after a long career in FTSE boardrooms, was this weekend told by Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, that he was to be replaced amid mounting tension with the government.

Sources said this weekend that Ms Badenoch had notified him of the decision in a telephone call on Saturday afternoon.

The hunt for a new chairman will come as the government tries to force through legislation that will more quickly compensate hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted over the faulty software which triggered Britain’s biggest miscarriage of justice.

One insider said there had been several sources of tension between the Post Office chairman and the government in recent months.

Among them, they said, was a row over the prospective appointment of a new senior independent director to replace Ben Tidswell, who is due to step down in the coming months.

Mr Staunton and a number of colleagues are said to have been keen for Andrew Darfoor, a former financial services executive who is one of the company’s existing non-executive directors, to take the position.

However, the government is understood to want to appoint a Whitehall insider to the role as it looks to strengthen the Post Office’s corporate governance.

Tensions also arose last year over the mistaken payment of bonuses to Nick Read, the chief executive, which were linked to its cooperation with the Horizon inquiry.

Insiders said, however, that Mr Staunton’s exit was not directly related to the Horizon scandal itself.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “The Post Office is rightfully under a heightened level of scrutiny at this time.

“With that in mind, I felt there was a need for new leadership, and we have parted ways with mutual consent.”

A government spokesperson said: “In a phone call earlier today, the secretary of state for business and trade and Henry Staunton, chair of Post Office Limited (POL), agreed to part ways by mutual consent.

“An interim will be appointed shortly and a recruitment process for a new chair will be launched in due course, in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.”

Mr Staunton could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The government’s shareholding in Post Office Limited is managed by UK Government Investments (UKGI), which is also responsible for the public’s stakes in Channel 4, the Met Office and other state-owned companies.

The Post Office relies on government funding to operate, and has been struggling in recent years amid tougher competition across the sectors in which it operates.

Mr Staunton previously chaired Phoenix Group, the insurance company, and WH Smith, the high street retailer.

His executive career included a stint at ITV, while he held other boardroom seats at companies such as BSkyB – which was the listed company that owns Sky News – and Ladbrokes.

The decision to replace him comes as the government tries to exert a firmer grip on the fallout from the Horizon crisis, with Rishi Sunak pledging new laws to “swiftly exonerate and compensate” those affected.

“People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own,” the prime minister told MPs earlier this month.

“The victims must get justice and compensation. Sir Wyn Williams’ inquiry is undertaking crucial work to undo, to expose what went wrong, and we’ve paid almost £150m in compensation to over 2,500 victims.”

The eventual bill is expected to total in the region of £1.5bn, although more victims of the Horizon scandal have continued to come forward since the broadcasting of an ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

Sky News revealed earlier this month that Ms Badenoch was seeking urgent talks with Fujitsu to thrash out a compensation package for sub-postmasters affected by the scandal.

Ms Badenoch wrote to Takahito Tokita, the Japanese company’s chief executive, in the wake of an acknowledgement from Fujitsu bosses that it had a “moral obligation” to contribute to the compensation bill.

“As you may know, my department is at the forefront of our government’s efforts to right the wrongs of the past,” Ms Badenoch wrote earlier this month.

“I am committed to ensuring that postmasters affected get the justice they deserve.

“This is why the UK government announced new legislation… to overturn wrongful convictions and a plan to ensure swifter access to compensation.”

The latest shake-up of the Post Office’s leadership comes in the same month that Paula Vennells, its former chief executive, surrendered her CBE after growing public and political pressure.

Kevin Hollinrake, the postal affairs minister, has said he would support prosecutions of those involved in the scandal and its cover-up.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will appear on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, which starts at 8.30am tomorrow.

UK

Families of British Air India crash victims ‘feel utterly abandoned’ and hit out at government

Published

4 hours ago

June 16, 2025

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Families of British Air India crash victims 'feel utterly abandoned' and hit out at government

The families of three of the British victims of last week’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad have criticised the UK government’s response to the disaster, saying they “feel utterly abandoned”.

It comes after an Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India, killing 229 passengers and 12 crew. One person on the flight survived.

Among the passengers and crew on the Gatwick-bound aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.

In a statement, the families of three British citizens who lost their lives said they were calling on the UK government to “immediately step up its presence and response on the ground in Ahmedabad”.

The families said they rushed to India to be by their loved ones’ sides, “only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction”.

“There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital,” said a family spokesperson.

“We are forced to make appointments to see consular staff based 20 minutes away in a hotel, while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital.

“We’re not asking for miracles – we’re asking for presence, for compassion, for action,” another family member said.

“Right now, we feel utterly abandoned.”

The families listed a number of what they called “key concerns”, including a “lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains”.

They also demanded a “full crisis team” at the hospital within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for relatives of the victims.

A local doctor had “confirmed” the delays in releasing the bodies were “linked to severe understaffing”, according to the families, who also called for an independent inquiry into the UK government’s response.

“Our loved ones were British citizens. They deserved better in life. They certainly deserve better in death,” the statement added.

Sky News has approached the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.

Families and friends of the victims have already expressed their anger and frustration – mostly aimed at the authorities in India – over the lack of information.

UK

Tributes paid to mother-of-four among two skydivers who died in ‘tragic accident’

Published

5 hours ago

June 16, 2025

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Tributes paid to mother-of-four among two skydivers who died in 'tragic accident'

A mother-of-four was among two skydivers who died following a “tragic accident” at an airfield in Devon.

Belinda Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene following Friday afternoon’s incident in the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton.

On Facebook, her partner Scott Armstrong wrote: “I miss you so much, you were my best friend.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, from making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess.

“… there’s just so much that I don’t have the words to express it.

“I feel so lost. I don’t know where home is without you.”

Ms Taylor’s eldest son, Connor Bowles, paid tribute to a “selfless woman” who was also a grandmother to two young children.

Thanking investigators for their work so far, he told DevonLive: “She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life.”

The identity of the second skydiver who died is yet to be made public, but their family has been informed.

British Skydiving has confirmed it will be investigating the incident – with a report sent to the coroner, the Civil Aviation Authority and the police.

In a statement, SkydiveBuzz, which operates at the airfield, said its “deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and everyone affected by this devastating event”.

A spokesperson added: “Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do.

“No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected, including our team, during this incredibly difficult time.”

UK

Career spy Blaise Metreweli to become first woman to head MI6

Published

8 hours ago

June 16, 2025

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Career spy Blaise Metreweli to become first woman to head MI6

Career spy Blaise Metreweli will become the first woman to head MI6 in a “historic appointment”, the prime minister has announced.

She will take over from Sir Richard Moore as the 18th Chief, also known as “C”, when he steps down in the autumn.

“The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital,” Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement released on Sunday night.

“The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale – be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services.”

Of the other main spy agencies, GCHQ is also under female command for the first time.

Anne Keast-Butler took on the role in 2023, while MI5 has previously twice been led by a woman.

Until now, a female spy chief had only headed MI6 – also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) – in the James Bond movies.

Dame Judi Dench held the fictional role – called “M” in the films instead of “C” – between 1995 and 2015.

Ms Metreweli currently serves as “Q”, one of four director generals inside MI6.

The position – also made famous by the James Bond films, with the fictional “Q” producing an array of spy gadgets – means she is responsible for technology and innovation.

Ms Metreweli, a Cambridge graduate, joined MI6 in 1999.

Unlike the outgoing chief, who spent some of his service as a regular diplomat in the foreign office, including as ambassador to Turkey, she has spent her entire career as an intelligence officer.

Much of that time was dedicated to operational roles in the Middle East and Europe.

Ms Metreweli, who is highly regarded by colleagues, also worked as a director at MI5.

In a statement, she said she was “proud and honoured to be asked to lead my service”.

“MI6 plays a vital role – with MI5 and GCHQ – in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas,” she said.

“I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.”

Sir Richard said: “Blaise is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology. I am excited to welcome her as the first female head of MI6.”