Monday
More than four years after it was established, the Post Office Horizon inquiry is finally coming to an end. Though despite a hard-hitting interim report and a gamechanging (for public awareness) ITV drama, most post office operators are still waiting for their compensation. The campaigner Alan Bates recently wrote to Keir Starmer to ask what was going on. Twice. His first letter went unanswered. Despite £1.8bn having been for compensation in the budget, progress has been glacially slow. One of the last people to give evidence this week was the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, who as business secretary from early 2023 to July this year had overall responsibility for the postal service. Most witnesses to the inquiry have begun by saying how sorry they are for the scandal, even if they have later been at pains to point out it was nothing to do with them. There was no such statement from Kemi. She is not one of Westminster’s natural empaths. Rather, she wanted to make clear she had done all she could to expedite things by writing to Jeremy Hunt suggesting that he offer £100k to all claimants. Despite the then chancellor turning her down on the grounds that it might not offer a fair deal to taxpayers, Kemi placed the blame for the holdups on the civil service. Nor could Kemi explain why she made no subsequent efforts to free up compensation over the following 12 months. Not even another letter.
