Rishi Sunak backs probe into stripping ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells of CBE
Rishi Sunak has thrown his weight behind calls for a probe into whether ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells should be stripped of her CBE.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister "shares the public's strength and feeling of outrage" over what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. The PM's official spokesman said he would "strongly support" the Honours Forfeiture Committee "if they were to choose to investigate" whether Ms Vennells should lose the honour amid swirling public anger over the scandal.
It comes as a petition calling for the former Post Office boss to be stripped of her CBE attracted more than one million signatures in recent days. Ms Vennells, who was Post Office Chief Executive between 2012 and 2019, was awarded a CBE in the 2019 New Year Honours List for services to the organisation.
Rishi Sunak would 'strongly support' the Honours Forfeiture Committee looking at whether to strip Paula Vennells of her CBE (PA)She previously apologised for the "suffering" caused to sub-postmasters, who were wrongly prosecuted for false accounting, theft and fraud due to problems with the Horizon IT system. Mr Sunak has come under pressure in recent days to intervene after ITV's 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' programme triggered fresh public outrage.
The PM has no formal role in deciding which cases are considered by the honours forfeiture committee, which is convened under the Cabinet Office but remains at arms length from Government.
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Speaking at an event in Lancashire, Mr Sunak said the scandal was an "absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice" and "we should do everything we can to make it right". He said: "I would say that over the last few years my predecessors started the process of doing that, had the inquiry. Actually, as chancellor, I approved the compensation schemes for the first time which are now in the process of being paid out and almost £150 million has been paid out to thousands of people.
"So people should know that we are on it and we want to make this right, that money has been set aside. What we are now looking at is how can we speed all of that up?"
Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said Ms Vennells "should give back" her CBE after the Horizon scandal. "In terms of the honour that the former head of the Post Office received... well, speaking for myself personally here, I do think she should give that back," he told TalkTV. "It's an insult to the sub-postmasters who suffered from what her leadership delivered that she should accept that honour."
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is meeting Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake today to discuss how to help convicted branch managers clear their names. Mr Hollinrake is also due to make a statement to MPs later today.
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