Sir Tony Blair failed to put a brake on the Horizon rollout although the former prime minister had been warned the Post Office IT software was flawed, the inquiry heard on Wednesday (13).
In a witness statement, Lord Mandelson, who served as business secretary in Sir Tony’s cabinet, said the “integrity of the new system itself” was not “called into question” ahead of the 1999 rollout of the software. The Labour peer’s account comes 10 months after the public inquiry into the scandal was shown a note drafted by Geoff Mulgan, special adviser at Downing Street, and sent to the then prime minister in December 1988, which described the system as “increasingly flawed”.
Sir Tony jotted a handwritten note on the document itself, asking for a “clear view” on its reliability.
On Wednesday, the final hearing of the last phase of the Post Office inquiry took place and 80 additional witness statements were published – including Lord Mandelson’s. In his witness statement to the inquiry, the Labour peer wrote, “Concerning the integrity of the new system itself, this was not called into question.
“The external review’s findings were accepted both within my department and in No 10, albeit with some conditionality.”
He added: “The recommendation to confirm the Horizon system was made to the Prime Minister and the final decision was his. I do not remember No 10 putting a brake on the programme at any stage.”
By 1998 the Horizon project, which was launched under John Major’s government, had been running more than two years behind schedule. As a result, the project was referred to Sir Tony to decide if it should continue. In his own witness statement submitted to the inquiry, the former prime minister said he was unable to recall some details of the period.
However, he wrote: “I have learnt that it is crucial to obtain advice from experts with deep experience in the field who can provide the necessary assurance. As I have explained, I sought and obtained assurances as to the reliability of the product being developed.
“It is now clear that the Horizon product was seriously flawed, leading to tragic and completely unacceptable consequences, and I have deep sympathy with those affected.”
More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted as a result of the Horizon scandal, which saw the faulty software incorrectly record shortfalls on their accounts.
