The Horizon IT Scandal and the Call for Justice
Kate Osborne, the Member of Parliament for Jarrow and Gateshead East, raised a critical issue in Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, following the publication of Volume 1 of the report from the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. This inquiry has brought to light a significant scandal that has affected numerous sub-postmasters across the UK.
The Horizon IT scandal involved the Post Office taking legal action against thousands of sub-postmasters for financial shortfalls. These issues were ultimately traced back to faults in the Horizon accounting software, developed by Fujitsu. Despite the clear problems with the system, Fujitsu continues to hold government contracts, while some victims, like Kate Osborne’s constituent, Christopher Head, have yet to receive any form of compensation.
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Christopher Head took over the West Boldon Post Office at just 18 years old in 2006, making him one of the youngest postmasters in the country. Over the past two decades, many individuals like Chris have been falsely accused of fraud and theft, leading to severe consequences such as losing their homes, facing imprisonment, and even tragic deaths.
Chris initially experienced only minor losses during the first seven years of his tenure. However, in September 2014, he discovered that his till was approximately £40,000 short. By November of the same year, the shortfall had increased to £88,098. From February 2015, Chris was questioned three times by the Post Office, and his home was searched as part of the investigation. After five months, the case against him was dropped, but his superiors still insisted that he needed to repay the £88,098. This led Chris to campaign tirelessly for the government to clear the victims and provide full compensation for those affected by the scandal.
In the House of Commons, Ms. Osborne highlighted the need for Fujitsu to play a role in restorative justice. She pointed out that she had previously asked the previous government to pause and review all Fujitsu contracts, which they refused to do. She questioned whether the minister agreed with her and Sir Wyn that it was time for Fujitsu to contribute to compensation and that it was also time to stop awarding billions of pounds in government contracts to the company, including their bid for HMRC’s Trader Support Service (TSS), worth £355 million alone.
Following the session in the Commons, the Jarrow MP stated that she will continue to call on the government to impose a moratorium on all contracts involving Fujitsu. She emphasized the injustice of people like her constituent, Chris Head, not receiving any compensation while Fujitsu continues to benefit from government contracts. Despite their central role in one of the most devastating corporate failures in history, Fujitsu continues to pursue and gain government contracts, which she finds utterly perverse.
Ms. Osborne reiterated her call for the previous government to pause and review all existing contracts with Fujitsu, which they refused to do. She plans to continue urging the current government to take similar actions and impose a moratorium on all contracts. In addition to asking a question to the Minister, she has written to ministers, urging them to act urgently and review these contracts. She looks forward to further discussions on this matter.
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