Witham MP Priti Patel slams 'cruel' post office bosses

In an article written by the MP for The Sun, Dame Priti says sub-postmasters were failed by the system and those in power must face consequences over the British Post Office’s Horizon scandal.

The Horizon computer system was installed in post offices in 1999 and led to hundreds of postmasters being wrongly accused of stealing money.

Dame Priti’s father, Sushil, was a former sub-postmaster.

MP - Dame Priti Patel pictured in the House of Commons in June last year (Image: PA)

The scandal has been highlighted again by ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Dame Patel said: “As the daughter of a former sub-postmaster growing up helping in the family shop, I know how hard each one of those affected by this scandal worked to build up their business and become trustworthy and respected members of the community.

“Sub-postmasters are the very embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit, investing in their communities, making sacrifices and working long hours to provide much-needed services.

“But these pillars of the community were battered, bullied and betrayed by systematic state failure.”

Dame Priti said many people’s lives were ruined, and reputations smeared due to the false allegations.

She also said one of her constituents was concerned by the issue at the time but rather than the Post Office listening to him, “they terminated his contract and ruined his reputation”.

He also suffered huge financial losses of more than £100,000 and his marriage broke down.

Post - The signage for a post office branch (Image: N/A)

The Horizon system enabled sub-postmasters and branch workers to input sales transactions on to a touchscreen and the accounts would then be automated in the background.

Following the installing of the software, hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly accused and prosecuted for theft, false accounting or fraud after accounting shortfalls which they could not explain.

Un known to them, this was because there was an issue with the system, not because of any wrongdoing.

Dame Priti wants more to be done.

She said: “We need to see all powers necessary used so they can face justice, punishment and censure.

“We must also do what’s right for our sub-postmasters and move quickly to overturn convictions and pay out full and appropriate levels of compensation.”