The former sub-postmaster Alan Bates has criticised the Post Office for its handling of the Horizon IT scandal, describing it as a “toxic organisation” that “cannot get its act together”. Speaking after an evidence session in front of MPs, Bates suggested that the government must prioritise payments to victims of the scandal. Bates led the campaign against the sub-postmasters’ treatment during the scandal. A recent ITV drama reignited public interest in the issue.
Bates called for the compensation scheme for victims of the scandal to be expedited and questioned the framing of money due to sub-postmasters under the GLO (Group Litigation Order) scheme as “compensation”, arguing that it was in fact “financial redress”. He added that the money was owed to former employees and had been outstanding for years.
Bates founded the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance and took the Post Office to the High Court in 2017. He continues to campaign for affected sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses, seeking fair compensation from the government.
Bates’ two-decade fight is believed to have served as an inspiration for the ITV mini-series Mr Bates vs the Post Office. The series recounts the stories of hundreds of sub-postmasters and postmistresses who were wrongly prosecuted after a faulty accounting system suggested money was missing from Post Office branches
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