- ITV drama prompts petition
- Over 600,000 sign petition
- Calls for Vennells’ CBE removal
As a result of the ITV dramatisation of the scandal in which the Post Office pursued hundreds of former subpostmasters and subpostmistresses, calls for the removal of her honour have resurfaced.
Supporters initiated a petition signed by over 500,000 individuals in favor of removing the former Post Office manager’s CBE in retaliation for the Horizon scandal.
Under the leadership of Paula Vennells, the organisation consistently denied any issues with its Horizon IT system.
Following the airing of ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office drama, which details how the Post Office held former subpostmasters and subpostmistresses liable for financial discrepancies uncovered by its computerised accounting system, demands for the removal of her distinction have resurfaced.
Over seven hundred prosecutions, criminal convictions, and, in some instances, prison terms resulted from their pursuit.
Ongoing is a public investigation into the scandal.
Subsequently, Ms. Vennells expressed her “sincere apologies” for the “suffering” endured by erroneously convicted sub-postmasters of offences.
Three hundred fifty signatures in a matter of days
The ITV programme prompted an outpouring of compassion for the scandal’s victims and a swift increase in the number of individuals who signed the online petition established in 2021.
On Monday, when the initial segment debuted, it had approximately one thousand signatures. As of Thursday, when they aired the concluding episode, the cumulative amount had surpassed 350,000. More than 600,000 individuals have signed it thus far.
The petition’s sponsoring organisation, 38 Degrees, stated that “many signatories [were] stating that the spectacle, which “brought the long-running scandal to the attention of millions of people,” inspired them to join the call.
“While many victims of the Horizon Scandal are still awaiting justice, Paula Vennells keeping her CBE flies in the face of the fairer country we all wish to see,” said Robin Priestley, director of campaigns for the organisation, in a statement.
That is abundantly obvious from the tremendous surge in public support for this campaign that followed Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office.
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She was not asked by the prime minister on Thursday whether she should be stripped of her honour.
An autonomous committee handles the honours forfeiture procedure, which is distinct from the government’s operations, according to Rishi Sunak.
In a broader sense, however, it is my responsibility to ensure that the compensation schemes are implemented so that all those who were cruelly treated and who experienced a heinous miscarriage of justice receive the justice to which they are entitled; we are doing just that.
Sir Keir Starmer stated to ITV News: “It is entirely up to her whether or not Ms. Vennells returns her award.
However, it is my belief that a more significant aspect to consider in numerous ways is the long-overdue compensation for these victims.
