Put up Workplace ought to be handed over to postmasters, former boss says | UK Information

The Put up Workplace ought to be “handed over” to postmasters, its former chairman has mentioned, accusing the federal government of utilizing it as a “fig leaf” for stalling and evasion.

In a letter seen solely by Sky Information, Henry Staunton advised the enterprise and commerce committee the federal government has “constantly hidden behind the Put up Workplace’s skirts, spinning their method away from hassle”.

He additionally accused the Division for Enterprise and Commerce of not proudly owning as much as their “failings” or doing “the respectable factor” by sub-postmasters.

A whole lot of sub-postmasters have been wrongly convicted of theft and false accounting primarily based on proof from defective Horizon IT software program between 1999 and 2015.

Mr Staunton, who was sacked in January, wrote to Liam Byrne, the chair of the enterprise and commerce committee, after an explosive assembly on Tuesday.

MPs have been advised by the previous Put up Workplace chairman that its present chief government, Nick Learn, was beneath investigation.

Mr Staunton was answering questions on an inner probe into his personal behaviour and about allegations he made that he had been advised to stall on compensation funds to victims whereas he was chairman.

Within the letter he mentioned: “The federal government can’t proceed to dodge its obligations, pretending in public to be all coronary heart and compassion, whereas it permits stony-faced legal professionals to rack up their hours doing their greatest to prevaricate and penny-pinch.”

Learn extra:
What’s the Put up Workplace scandal, why have been postmasters prosecuted, and what’s Horizon?
Postmistress felt she needed to grovel for compensation

Describing “deep dysfunction” throughout the Put up Workplace, he additionally known as for a “arduous, concrete deadline” for sufferer compensation, “ideally not more than six months”.

He additionally mentioned the corporate must be “eliminated utterly” from the compensation course of and known as for an unbiased physique to take over.

In his damning evaluation, Mr Staunton mentioned postmasters are “dying as the federal government makes an attempt to evade its obligations. It is the oldest trick within the guide.”

In addition to stating compensation ought to be elevated by £600,000 to £1m for every convicted submit grasp, he mentioned the Put up Workplace ought to be taken out of presidency management by “handing it over, lock, inventory and barrel to the submit masters themselves.”

The letter, Mr Staunton acknowledged, is about setting down “some additional ideas on what now must be accomplished”.

It’s the newest in a confrontation between Mr Staunton and authorities officers.

Final week, enterprise secretary Kemi Badenoch advised the Commons there was “no proof in any respect” of Henry Staunton’s account that he was advised to stall on compensation funds.

The gradual tempo at which former sub-postmasters are receiving compensation has, nonetheless, led to fierce criticism from victims, legal professionals and politicians.

Learn extra:
Former Put up Workplace chief government Paula Vennells formally stripped of CBE
Fujitsu ‘to have obtained £3.4bn’ regardless of function in Put up Workplace scandal

Earlier this week the federal government introduced new measures to hurry up the method, together with an interim fee of £450,000 for individuals who have had convictions overturned.

Sky Information has contacted the Put up Workplace for remark.

A supply on the Division for Enterprise and Commerce mentioned: “Whereas the federal government continues to do all it could to ship justice for the postmasters, Henry Staunton continues to be making this all about him: making an attempt to deflect from his horrible tenure as chair of the Put up Workplace and the newspaper interview he gave that has fallen aside beneath scrutiny.

“We cannot be distracted by this fixed mud-flinging, and we hope Mr Staunton will now determine a interval of silence is one of the best ways ahead.”