Paula Vennells, the former chief executive of the Post Office, has announced that she will return her CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) with immediate effect. This decision comes in the wake of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.
Ms Vennells expressed deep regret for the “devastation” caused by the scandal to the staff who were falsely accused of fraud. Her decision to relinquish the CBE follows growing calls for her to lose the honour, with over a million people signing an online petition urging its revocation.
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, threw his weight behind the efforts to strip Paula Vennells of her CBE. Downing Street confirmed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would “strongly support” an investigation by the Honours Forfeiture Committee into whether Ms Vennells should be stripped of the award. Her CBE was awarded for her “services to the Post Office and to charity.
Paula Vennells released a written statement stating, “I continue to support and focus on cooperating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months. I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.”
She added, “I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect. I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system. I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.”
The Horizon IT scandal saw more than 700 Post Office branch managers wrongly convicted after the faulty Fujitsu accounting software created discrepancies in their accounts, making it appear as if money was missing. Paula Vennells received her CBE in 2019, the same year that postmasters were awarded £58 million in compensation for the false prosecutions that occurred under her leadership.
Paula Vennells has faced accusations of playing a significant role in covering up IT flaws that led to miscarriages of justice. While she has apologized for the scandal following some postmasters overturning their convictions at the Court of Appeal, she had remained silent on calls for her to return her CBE.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and fellow Tory MP Chris Loder wrote to the Cabinet Office requesting the revocation of Ms Vennells’ honour. Downing Street confirmed that Chancellor Rishi Sunak would “strongly support” the Forfeiture Committee should they choose to investigate.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, expressed his support for rectifying the situation and ensuring justice for those affected by the scandal. He underscored the government’s commitment to providing compensation and expediting the process for those affected by the miscarriage of justice.
