An online petition urging the government to strip former Post Office boss Paula Vennells of her CBE has now received over one million signatures.
The renewed demand for her forfeiture comes on the heels of an ITV drama spotlighting the Horizon scandal, deemed the most extensive miscarriage of justice in UK history.
The Horizon scandal unfolded when faulty Fujitsu accounting software, named Horizon, erroneously indicated financial discrepancies in more than 700 Post Office branches.
Astonishingly, branch managers faced criminal convictions based on this faulty information, with severe consequences including imprisonment, bankruptcy, and, tragically, some taking their own lives.
Paula Vennells, who led the organisation during this tumultuous period, faced criticism for overseeing a narrative that consistently denied issues with the Horizon IT system.
The controversy surrounding Paula Vennells’ CBE revolves not only around the alleged cover-up but also her subsequent appointments to senior roles in government and healthcare. The petition argues that, given the gravity of the Horizon scandal and its repercussions, the forfeiture process is a justified step towards rectifying the perceived injustice.
The petition, addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, chair of the Honours Forfeiture Committee, highlights the alleged mass cover-up within the Post Office. It contends that this cover-up led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office staff, resulting in devastating personal and professional consequences.
The petition states: “Evidence has been produced that the Post Office engaged in a mass cover up which led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office Staff many of whom were subsequently jailed, bankrupted and in some cases, sadly took their own lives.
“Having been handed a CBE for services to the Post Office, and moved out into other senior positions in government and healthcare, it is only right that this award is now withdrawn through the process of forfeiture.”
“Paula Vennells has subsequently refused to answer questions from these staff as well as the media and has refused to apologise for the cover-up, misery and trauma caused which has brought not only herself but the Post Office, the honours system and government into disrepute.”
