Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Commons Committee launches Post Office and Horizon inquiry  

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee of the House of Commons today launched an inquiry on issues emerging from the court cases over the Horizon IT system of the Post Office.

The inquiry will look at the impact on sub-postmasters and its effect on the future viability of the organisation, besides examining the lessons the Government and Post Office have learned from the scandal.


“Hundreds of sub-postmasters have suffered considerable distress, and many have had their lives ruined by the faults in the Horizon IT system,” said Rachel Reeves MP, Chair of the Committee.

“Following December’s High Court ruling in favour of the sub-postmasters, and the finding that Horizon was flawed, it’s right to examine what the Post Office Ltd and the Government have learned from this scandal and establish what steps they are taking to ensure something similar never happens again.”

The claimant sub-postmasters and Post Office have agreed to settle the long-running trial, a week before the High Court ruled on 16 December 2019 in favour of the sub-postmasters at the Horizon Issues trial, second of a series of trials brought out by 557 current and former sub-postmasters.

The judgment in the first trial in the case - Common Issues, which considered nature of the contract between the claimants and Post Office - were also in favour of the postmasters.

“The case also raises concerns about the damage caused to the relationship between Post Office Ltd and the sub-postmasters and about what this means for the future of our post-office network,” Reeves added.

“We will hear from sub-postmasters about the impact of Horizon on their lives and take the opportunity to hold executives from Post Office Ltd and Fujitsu to account for their handling of the problems around the Horizon IT and accounting system.”

Reeves has also written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to press for further details on the public inquiry on Horizon to which the Prime Minister appeared to commit during Prime Minister's Questions on 26 February.

Replying to a question by Labour MP Kate Osborne asking whether he will commit to launching an independent inquiry on the issue, Johnson has said: “I am indeed aware of the scandal to which the hon. Lady alludes and the disaster that has befallen many Post Office workers—I have met some of them myself. I am happy to commit to getting to the bottom of the matter in the way that she recommends.”

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less