Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed need for a March 2025 deadline for compensating Post Office Horizon scandal victim, saying "an arbitrary cut-off date could result in some claimants missing the deadline".
In a response to Sir Alan Bates' call for a March 2025 deadline, Sir Keir Starmer's spokesperson today (5) stated that there would not be a deadline imposed.
"What we don't want to do is set an arbitrary cut-off date which could result in some claimants missing the deadline," the spokesperson said. "We obviously don't want to put pressure on claimants and put them off contesting their claim."
However, victims involved in a landmark case against the Post Office that ended in 2019 "should receive substantial redress by the end of March and we are doing everything we can to achieve that goal", the spokesperson added.
Earlier today (5), Sir Alan was giving evidence to the Business Select Committee when he told MPs that he has twice written to the Prime Minister in the past month to say "it needs to be finished by the end of March 2025".
"I never received a response," Sir Alan said, adding, "Deadlines do need to be set. People have been waiting far too long."
Sir Alan first wrote to the PM on Oct 2 and again a few days ago, urging him to make sure victims get full financial redress by March next year.
“People have been waiting far too long, over 20-odd years, there’s over 70 that have died along the way in the GLO group. There are people well into their 80s now that are still suffering. They’re still having to put up with this as well. They shouldn’t. They really shouldn’t," he said.
Bates himself has twice declined compensation this year, saying the first offer in January was "cruel" and "derisory", and about a sixth of what he had claimed.
When asked today by Liam Byrne, the committee chair, whether he would consider crowdfunding to return to court, Sir Alan said, “I would never say never.”
Legal action was one of several options his campaign group was planning to discuss at a meeting in the coming weeks, he said.
“I know that if we decide to go down that route we are going to halt the current scheme, and it’s going to be at least six, 12 or 24 months before it moves forward in that direction," Sir Alan said, adding: "That might be a choice people are prepared to take."
More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their shops.
Appearing alongside Sir Alan were former subpostmaster Dewi Lewis, who was jailed for four months after being wrongfully convicted of theft from his branch, and Jill Donnison, a claimant who worked in her late mother’s branch.
Donnison criticised some of the questions she had been expected to answer as part of her efforts to seek compensation as “long-winded and impossible to answer”.
She said claimants were expected to know how much they had lost even though key data was missing from the records, with documents provided by the Post Office “practically illegible”.
Police investigating crimes linked to the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are looking at "dozens" of potential suspects, but don't expect trials to begin until 2027. The police will also await the publication of Sir Wyn Williams’ public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal before moving forward to charging, stated recent reports.
The investigation, which the police describe as unprecedented in size and scale, is in the first instance examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice by those involved in making “key decisions” on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions of branch owner-operators.
However, a second phase, which is being developed concurrently, is looking at “wider offences” and decision-makers involved more broadly at the Post Office, as well as at Fujitsu, which developed the controversial Horizon accounting software.
Three suspects have already been interviewed under caution and there are plans to interview others next year, according to police.
But no one will be charged until officers have read the final report from the separate public inquiry, almost 30 years after concerns were first raised.
Stephen Clayman, the Met commander overseeing the police investigation, said officers were “looking at the actions of prominent individuals” beyond those directly involved in making decisions on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions.
“We will go where the evidence takes us,” The Guardian quoted Clayman as saying. “We are looking at the Post Office and Fujitsu and anything wider. We will cast the net wider in terms of culpability.”
“The scale of the task ahead is unprecedented. I do know that if you take into account Post Office criminal and private prosecutions, civil claims and contract withdrawals, there are potentially thousands of victims who we are working hard to identify.”
Clayman added, “No key decisions will be made around submissions and charging decisions until the final report is delivered and thoroughly reviewed by the investigation team and the Crown Prosecution Service. We are looking at 2027 [for trials] realistically.”
“We have been building a larger investigation team made up of officers across all forces. All forces are contributing to the build of a national team. This is a truly national operation in scale and should be resourced as such.”
Michael Norman, the senior investigating officer, added that police were also looking at “investigators, solicitors, barristers and people within Fujitsu as well”.
“As others [persons of interest] come into scope we will look at those as well, if they become raised to suspect status,” Norman said. “It is very fluid. The issue of corporate liability, corporate culpability, is always open.”
Norman said that to date the police had interviewed three individuals under caution, dating back to 2021, with the most recent in September this year. Clayman said prosecutions would not reach trial until 2027, in part due to the “unprecedented” scale of the investigation, which is reviewing more than 1.5 million documents.
More than 900 post office operators were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 because of faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as though they had been committing fraud.
The Post Office is predicting that close to £1 billion worth of cash will be withdrawn over the counter at its branches in December.
Last December, Post Offices handled a then record £930 million worth of personal cash withdrawals at its branches.
New figures released today (10) reveal the impact ‘Storm Bert’ had on cash transactions at PostOffices in November. Just over £3.5 billion in cash deposits and withdrawals were handled by branches in November. This compared with £3.7 billion in October and PostOffice has attributed this month-on-month fall to ‘Storm Bert’ which impacted Wales, the South West of England, Central England and Scotland at the end of November.
Personal cash deposits totalled £1.45 billion which was down 4.5% month-on-month (£1.52 billion, October 2024) but was up 12.3 per cent year-on-year (£1.29 billion, November 2024). Business cash deposits in November totalled £1.12 billion which was down 7 per cent month-on-month (£1.21 billion, October 2024) but was up 1.5 per cent year-on-year (£1.11 billion, November 2024).
Personal cash withdrawals totalled £916 million in November which dipped 1.3 per cent month-on-month (£928 million, October 2024) but was up 4.3 per cent year-on-year (£879 million, November 2024).
Ross Borkett, Post Office Banking Director, said, “Following the large-scale disruption caused by Storm Bert last month, postmasters and their teams are on hand to support small businesses who desperately rely on cash takings in the run-up to Christmas. Our branches provide somewhere convenient and secure where they can deposit their cash.
“Many people rely on cash in order to budget in the run-up to Christmas Day and the trends we’re seeing indicate that personal cash withdrawals will be greater in December than the previous year.
"People can withdraw the cash they need, to the penny, at our branches with many open long hours and on the weekend.”
Post Office Cash tracker data – November 2024
Cash deposits value (business & personal)
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Cash withdrawals value (business & personal)
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Total cash deposits & withdrawal value for November 2024
As at 16 October, 88 hubs have been opened in partnership between Cash Access UK and the Post Office. 168 Banking Hubs have now been announced by LINK with further openings planned for later this year.
Two serving postmasters, Brian Smith and Sara Barlow, have been elected to the Post Office board as non-executive directors.
This is the second time in the Post Office’s 360-year history that serving postmasters have been elected to the board. Smith and Barlow will replace Elliot Jacobs and Saf Ismail who were first elected to sit on the board in 2021.
The appointment of Smith and Barlow follows approval from business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds. It comes after the Post Office chair Nigel Railton set out an ambitious five-year Transformation Plan for the Post Office to deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’.
Brian Smith is the postmaster for Clocktower Post Office on the Shetland Islands. He has run the branch for 19 years. He said: “I am eager to bring my unique insights, diverse skills, and unwavering commitment to the Post Office's mission to the board. My passion for community engagement, drive for innovation, and a deep understanding of the retail landscape, will all aid me to support the Post Office on its path to modernisation and continued success.”
Sara Barlow is the postmaster for Rainhill, Merseyside. She has run the branch for six years and has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to business and the community. Barlow said: “I have been an active participant in many postmaster working groups, forums and associations. Whether it’s through Peer Support or in my role on the Wellbeing initiative team, I am driven to help support postmasters on a wide range of issues from remuneration improvements to emotional support.”
Voting to elect two new postmasters as non-executive directors to the Post Office board took place between 30 September and 16 October.
Commenting, post office minister Gareth Thomas, said: “It’s absolutely right that postmasters should play a leading role in shaping the future of the Post Office, providing invaluable experience to ensure it serves the needs of communities across the country. Brian and Sara will make excellent additions to the leadership team, helping to further bridge the gap between branches and the board.”
Railton added: “I am delighted to be welcoming Brian and Sara to the board. We have an ambitious five-year Transformation Plan for the Post Office and both will bring critical real-life experience to the role helping us deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’ that will also benefit the nine million customers that visit our branches every week and who rely on the essential products and services postmasters and their teams provide.”
Following an induction and training programme, covering the corporate and legal aspects of fulfilling the duties of a non-executive director, Smith took up his position on the Board on 4 December and Barlow will take up her position on the board on 28 January 2025.
Current postmaster non-executive director Elliot Jacobs tenure on the board has been extended to bring business continuity to the board alongside Smith and Barlow. Saf Ismail has stepped down from the board.
Post Office has signed a one-year contract extension with Japanese tech giant Fujitsu to run Horizon until March 2026, dumping its replacement after setbacks caused costs to skyrocket to as much as £2 billion.
The in-house New Branch IT system (NBIT) was supposed to be finished by March 2024 at an initial cost of £200m over three years. However, difficulties in its development led to expensive delays.
According to recent reports, staff has been told that the government has refused to fund the system’s £1million-a-week running costs.
Meanwhile, oldest victim of Post Office Horizon has slammed the government, stating that she has been offered less than a third of what she had claimed in compensation.
Brown’s lawyers, with the help of forensic accountants, spent nearly three years preparing her claim for compensation. When her offer came through, it was for 29 per cent of what she had claimed
“We’re just treated like dung,” Brown told the BBC. “I’m totally disgusted. It simply adds insult to injury. You talk about the Christmas and goodwill. Where’s the goodwill towards the sub-postmasters here."
She said with the help of her government-paid advisors, multiple reports were prepared to back up her detailed claim. More information was then requested by lawyers acting on behalf of the government which oversees the GLO scheme.
In her compensation offer letter, she wasn’t awarded anything for loss of future earnings and was offered only a third of the amount she claimed for past loss of earnings. She was also not awarded the full amount she claimed for harassment, even though the Department for Business and Trade acknowledged she had suffered harassment linked to issues with Horizon.
Rejecting the offer, Brown has declared that she will take her case to an independent panel for assessment.
91-year-old former sub-postmistress Betty Brown and her husband spent more than £50,000 of their savings to cover the unexpected losses which started as soon as the Horizon computer system was installed in her branch. She was hounded out of her job and forced to sell her post office at a knockdown price in 2003.
Brown was one of the original 555 victims who took part in the landmark group legal action led by Alan Bates against the Post Office. They won their battle five years ago this month but never received proper compensation because the money they received was largely swallowed up by the huge costs to fund their case.
Politicians and councillors are campaigning for post office services to be retained as Post Office Ltd announced the potential closure of its 115 branches to make it more financially sustainable.
The state-owned company says these directly owned branches currently employ about 1,000 workers and are making a loss.
The other 11,000 post offices across the country are franchises.
Railton says it will deliver a new deal for postmasters that “significantly increases their total annual income through revenue sharing and strengthens their role in the direction of the organisation”.
But Torridge and Tavistock Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Cox is seeking assurances that the full range of services on offer at Bideford Post Office will not deteriorate and the Liberal Democrats have set up a petition to save the branch.
Torridge District Councillor for Bideford NorthTeresa Tinsley (Lib Dem) said any threat to the post office in Bideford was “a kick in the teeth for regeneration”.
“The Post Office has been filling a vital gap left by bank closures, it provides vital services to the community and drives footfall in the town centre,” she said. “We need to safeguard the full range of services at the heart of our community.’
Cllr Teresa Tinsley Outside Bideford Post OfficePhoto: Torridge And Tavistock Liberal Democrats
Sir Geoffrey said: “There is no doubt that the Post Office has long pursued the strategy of replacing its directly managed offices with franchised operations.
“The Crown Post Office in Tavistock was replaced some years ago by a franchise, which operates a very wide range of services for the town.”
A move to franchisees would result an additional £250 million extra revenue to sub postmasters, claims the Post Office, but the MP added:
“The quality of a franchise will often depend on finding a suitable partner, and the investment that partner makes in it, and I have sought assurances that the Crown Post Office will remain open for the foreseeable future or at least there will be no deterioration of services in Bideford.”
He said he would be monitoring the situation “very closely”
‘Move rather than closure’
Brigg and Immingham’s Conservative MP Martin Vickers has urged the Post Office to consider a move rather than closure of its central Grimsby postal branch. A government minister said it would be “completely unacceptable” for no Post Office counter services in the town’s commercial centre.
During a debate on the future of the Post Office, Vickers directly raised the Grimsby branch’s possible closure, and suggested it should move to smaller premises, rather than resort to closing it altogether.
“The Minister rightly says that Crown post offices are more costly. I can assure him that the one in Grimsby, for example, could easily operate in much smaller premises or in premises shared with other businesses in the commercial centre of the town. Will the Minister give an assurance that he will ensure the Post Office looks at operating out of alternative premises, and cuts its costs before considering closures?”
Martin VickersPhoto: UK Parliament
The Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron told parliament he was ‘deeply alarmed’ that Kendal Post Office on Stricklandgate appears on the list and added three years ago the previous government and Post Office administration threatened the branch with closure.
Mr Farron said: “We won our campaign to save it, in part because Post Office Ltd could see there was not space at WH Smiths in Kendal to take the Post Office, that has not changed. And likewise, that Royal Mail might lose their sorting office as a consequence of a closure, that has not changed either.
“What has changed is that two more high street banks, Halifax and Lloyds, have deserted Kendal Town Centre on the basis they claim that we’ve got the Post Office down the road, and they will be able to take up the slack.
“Isn’t this the time to give guarantees to Post Office’s like Kendal that they will remain a Crown Office for the foreseeable future to support our town and our economy.”
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition launched by Farron, who represents Westmorland and Lonsdale, to protect Kendal Post Office against its potential closure.
Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes’ Labour MP Melanie Onn has called for a rethink of the potential closure of the Victoria Street South branch, and has launched a petition calling for the branch to be taken off the Post Office’s ‘at risk’ register.
Melanie OnnPhoto: UK Parliament
Ms Onn said she is “deeply saddened” to hear the branch is at risk of closure, and called it “a lifeline for so many residents”.
“Like many in our community, I’m deeply saddened to hear that the Post Office in Grimsby town centre is at risk of closure as part of the Post Office’s strategic review,” said Ms Onn, announcing her petition to save the Grimsby town centre branch. “This branch is a lifeline for so many residents, and it’s one of the few places left that operates as a larger scale, traditional Post Office.
“We mustn’t forget how much more the Post Office provides beyond delivering and collecting mail. It’s a place where people can bank, get passport forms, and sort out things like travel insurance. For those who aren’t comfortable using the internet, these in-person services are absolutely vital, and we need to make sure they remain available for everyone.”
In response, business minister Gareth Thomas said: “We have made it clear to the Post Office that it has to talk to sub-postmasters, stakeholders and the trade unions about the costs associated with directly managed branches. We are committed to the requirement to ensure there is easy access to a post office branch for every community, up and down the country.”
He added the government encouraged the Post Office to continue to talk to the sub-postmasters who run branches in communities. “It’s completely unacceptable that the commercial centre of the town should not have access to Post Office counter services. Shared or smaller premises must be fully explored before a decision is taken.”
The Post Office needs an annual government subsidy to be viable, and reported pre-tax losses of over £80m in 2022/23. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is also opposing the possible closures.
London to lose 32 branches
Up to 32 Post Office branches across London could close as part of a national shake-up aimed at restructuring the business. The city is home to around 28 per cent of the 115 earmarked branches across the UK.
One of the branches listed is the Post Office branch in Cricklewood Broadway, which has prompted a campaign by councillors across three boroughs to advocate for its continued operation. Local representatives in Brent, Barnet, and Camden have written to the company urging it to reconsider and formally oppose the decision.
Signed by six councillors representing the tri-borough area, the letter states: “The Cricklewood Post Office performs a crucial role for the residents in our communities. It is a much-used community hub, which often has long queues and offers a variety of face-to-face services on which residents depend. This is particularly the case for elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents, or those lacking the skills or devices to access services at home.”
It adds: “The Post Office also benefits the local community by promoting footfall along Cricklewood Broadway, at a time when the vitality of many local high streets is at risk. Closing this community asset would not only inconvenience hundreds of Cricklewood residents, but could also have detrimental effects on the local economy.”
Cricklewood Broadway Post OfficePhoto: Google Maps via LDRS
The current Mayor of Brent and councillor for Cricklewood and Mapesbury, Tariq Dar, took to social media to raise more public awareness that the Cricklewood Broadway branch is ‘at risk’. He said the news had ‘spurred strong and immediate opposition’ amongst local representatives and residents.
Cllr Dar said: “Cricklewood Broadway. Meetings are already underway to discuss campaign strategies, including drafting letters to Post Office executives and organising a public awareness effort. This coordinated response emphasises the community’s reliance on the post office for essential services and underscores a commitment to keep it accessible.”
He added: “This proactive approach draws on past successes in defending the post office and reflects a unified stance against closures that could impact vulnerable groups and local businesses.”
Seeks meeting
Derry City and Strabane District Council will seek a meeting with Post Office management and Royal Mail representatives to discuss the proposed closure of Derry’s General Post Office (GPO).
At this month’s Business and Culture Committee, People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin proposed writing to the representatives about the closure, and to also to seek clarification on the continuing lateness of letter delivery throughout the district.
Councillor Harkin said the Post Office’s plans to “offload” 115 branches, including the main branches in Belfast and Derry, were “very concerning” and requested the meeting to discuss the closures’ impact on services and staff.
He added: “The union that represents Post Office workers have come out very, very strongly against this.”
“We should be with the union because I think that they have the right concerns: workers and communities and how it will impact them.”
DUP Alderman Julie Middleton said, “The reality is not all of our constituents do online banking and do things by going into the post office and dealing with their business there and then, not everyone has access to emails [or] the internet.
“Not everybody needs to travel for miles and miles because their local post office has been closed, especially our older and our vulnerable people, and we’re going to see that knock on effect if the GPO closes.”
Tim Farron outside Kendal Post OfficePhoto: Liberal Democrats
Local councillors and MPs in Barnet are opposing plans to close three local Post Office branches.
The Barnet, Golders Green and Cricklewood branches are among 115 under threat of closure following the chair of the Post Office’s five-year ‘transformation plan’ announcement last week.
In response, Labour councillors and Barnet MPs have joined forces to save the local branches under threat, with three separate petitions being signed by more than 3,000 people combined.
Supporting the campaign, council leader Barry Rawlings said: “Post offices are at the heart of our high streets and it is vital that we protect them. I am backing Barnet Labour’s campaign to keep the Golders Green and Barnet post offices open.”
Cricklewood Post Office, in Cricklewood Broadway, technically lies on the Brent side of the borough boundary, which runs through the high street.
Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman said: “Post offices provide essential services for our community.
“This announcement is extremely concerning for people in Golders Green and Cricklewood, for residents and local businesses alike.
“I will continue to reach out to residents, activists and staff over the next few days to discuss how we can protect these much-needed services – and mitigate any potential impact on jobs.”
Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson said: “I am deeply concerned that Barnet Post Office has been earmarked for closure.
“Post offices are cornerstones in our local communities, providing vital services and creating jobs for residents.
“I encourage all constituents to make their voices heard and sign the petition launched in collaboration with our local councillors. Now and always, I will campaign to protect Chipping Barnet’s services.”
Childs Hill councillor Nigel Young, whose ward contains Golders Green Post Office, said: “Golders Green Post Office is a lynchpin of our high street. Closing it would be a blow to our local economy and community. Let’s fight together to keep it open and please sign the petition.”
‘Considering all options’
Politicians in North Wales have written to Neil Brocklehurst, the acting chief executive of the Post Office, saying that the potential closure of a Post Office branch could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Caernarfon.
Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts MP, North Wales regional MS Llŷr Huws Gruffydd and Caernarfon councillor Cai Larsen have written the joint letter.
They said: “The Post Office is duty-bound to offer a certain level of face-to-face services in order to comply with the accessibility needs of residents.
“Gwynedd as a county has a higher median age than Wales as a whole, and a lack of trust or access means that some of our more senior constituents remain digitally excluded. In addition, within Caernarfon town lies the Peblig ward, a ward that consistently ranks highest for deprivation in Gwynedd in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD).
“Digital poverty is a very real issue in our communities, which places even more emphasis on the need for in-person services.
“Furthermore the Caernarfon branch serves a wider, more rural area than the town itself and with a lack of a proper public transport infrastructure an acute problem in this area, expecting constituents to travel further afield to access services is unreasonable.
“Let us conclude by highlighting Caernarfon’s very unique linguistic needs, needs that aren’t necessarily always met by online services or services in nearby towns. As a predominantly Welsh-speaking community, receiving services through the medium of their first language is essential in sustaining people’s trust and loyalty to the Post Office.
“Caernarfon town centre, like town centres across the county has struggled immensely in recent years, a situation worsened by Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. Removing services such as the one you provide could prove to be the final nail in the coffin.
“At a time when the Post Office should be working to restore trust and public confidence in its services, this proposal rides roughshod over the needs of customers and we urge you to re-think any plans to close your Caernarfon branch.”
A petition to save the branch has also been launched, and Ms Saville Roberts says she will write to business secretary Jonathan Reynolds about the issue.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We are considering a range of options to reduce our central costs.
“This includes considering the future of our remaining Directly Managed Branches (DMBs), which are loss-making.
“We have long held a publicly-stated ambition to move to a fully franchised network and we are in dialogue with the unions about future options for the DMBs.”
(Reporting by Alison Stephenson, Ivan Morris Poxton, Dan Hunt, Grant Williams, Andy Balfour, Grace Howarth and Dale Spridgeon of the Local Democracy Reporting Service)