The official inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal revealed it caused severe suffering to hundreds of wrongly accused sub-postmasters, including mental health issues and suicides, leading to calls for compensation, apologies, and further investigations into responsibility.
The inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal reveals the profound impact on affected sub-postmasters, including wrongful convictions, mental health issues, and suicides, while exposing the Post Office's knowledge of system errors, unacceptable behavior, and the need for improved compensation and restorative justice measures.
The UK government seeks urgent talks with Fujitsu regarding compensation for sub-postmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal, as an inquiry continues into the faulty software that led to wrongful convictions. Fujitsu's moral obligation to provide compensation has been emphasized, and the government aims to act once all facts are established. The scandal saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted over a 15-year period, and the ongoing inquiry has heard from Fujitsu staff expressing concerns about manipulated audit data used in criminal investigations. The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal probe, with the investigation expected to continue until at least 2026.
The Post Office Horizon scandal in the UK has shed light on the lopsided economic model that rewards asset-owners and punishes workers, exposing a form of "rentier capitalism" where success depends on what one controls rather than what one does. The scandal also highlights the perils of outsourcing and the government's tendency to support corporations while picking up the bill when things go wrong. This reveals a system where the powerful are shielded from risks, while workers face isolation, low pay, and insecurity, showcasing the shortcomings of both the state and the market in post-1997 Britain.