Henry Staunton vs the Post Office: farcical management row distracts from sub-postmaster compensation delays

Staunton claimed current chief executive Nick Read was also involved in the HR investigation, which saw him lose his job, doubled down on his row with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and revealed he had argued for Read to get a pay rise - despite the ongoing Horizon scandal.

At one point, the Gullis finally found his words: “I feel like there may be another drama - Mr Staunton and Mr Read vs the Post Office - coming up in the future.” Instead of the inspiring ITV drama, this was reminding me more of an episode of Succession.

Let’s wind back quickly to why Staunton was sitting before MPs today. The 75-year-old was chairman of the Post Office for just over a year, before he was dismissed by Badenoch. The government says there were serious allegations made about his conduct, in particular in relation to a whistleblower. Staunton has denied these.

After leaving office, Staunton made claims to the Sunday Times that a senior civil servant told him to slow down compensation payments to wrongly convicted sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who were caught up in the devastating Horizon IT scandal. The Business Secretary strenuously denied this, and has accused Staunton of lying. 

So he was hauled in front of the Business and Trade Select Committee, which is one of the ways MPs hold people to account. But his answers left some members scratching their heads. He revealed to Gullis that Read allegedly was caught up in the same HR investigation as he was.

“That has blown my mind,” was all Gullis could say, while long-serving chair Liam Byrne added that he was “shocked”. Later he told Antony Higginbotham MP that he had tried to secure a pay rise for Read during his first few months in the job. This was despite the ongoing scandal, which has seen hundreds of sub-postmasters left destitute after being relentlessly pursued by Post Office investigators over wrongful allegations.

Read was reportedly paid £415,000 last year and had to pay back a £450,000 bonus he received, partly for participating in the Horizon scandal. Staunton said he told then minister Grant Shapps: "Nick is unhappy with the salary.” Shapps responded: “Don't waste the postage stamp." He also claimed that Read was thinking about quitting. To add to the pantomime Read had given evidence earlier in the day, saying under oath the exact opposite.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake told Politico’s Playbook PM that it was “astounding” for Staunton to make public “sensitive HR matters.”

While this farce is going on, sub-postmasters are still waiting to be exonerated and many are still calling for more substantive compensation. Gullis summed it up, telling Staunton: “For sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses across the country, this is starting to look like a complete and utter shambles - people will be shocked I was that polite.” 

Earlier on in the day, Alan Bates - the former sub-postmaster and campaigner who the ITV drama is based on - had urged the government and the Post Office to “get on and pay people”. He added: “I think over the years I’ve been dealing with Post Office, the culture has always been Post Office. It hasn’t changed, it’s been the same for donkey’s years – it will not change and you cannot change it.”

Once again the shambles at the top of the Post Office has been exposed. To echo Mr Bates, just get on and pay people. 

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.