- By Harrison Jones
- BBC Information
Henry Staunton had been the Put up Workplace chairman since December 2022
The Put up Workplace chairman was sacked as a result of it “simply wasn’t working”, the enterprise secretary says.
Kemi Badenoch informed the BBC that Henry Staunton’s departure was about extra than simply the Horizon scandal, within the wake of public outcry over the wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters.
Ms Badenoch mentioned she eliminated him after issues about Put up Workplace governance and “all the enterprise mannequin”.
Labour referred to as on the federal government to offer extra particular causes for its resolution.
Mr Staunton left the position on Saturday. The BBC has approached him for remark.
The Put up Workplace mentioned Mr Staunton had been requested to go by Ms Badenoch.
Watch: What was Put up Workplace sacking about? – Badenoch requested
Showing on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Badenoch mentioned it was very troublesome for somebody to be requested to face down from a place.
However, she continued: “I made a decision given the entire difficulties the Put up Workplace is having, it isn’t nearly Horizon, it is about all the enterprise mannequin, how we make it work, that we wanted somebody who might chair a board that was in a position to cope with these items successfully.”
She defined that one in all her priorities was the governance of the Put up Workplace, and mentioned: “That was the place my deciding that we wanted a brand new chair of the organisation was vital. It simply wasn’t working.”
Ms Badenoch added that there have been “varied disagreements” throughout the board “and after I checked out it I believed change of personnel was what was required”.
She declined to rule out additional personnel modifications when showing on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips and referred to “difficulties” and different board members.
On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she declined to set a deadline to ship full compensation for these affected – echoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s place. However Ms Badenoch promised “we could not transfer any quicker than we have already got been”.
“Setting a deadline will not be the precedence,” she mentioned.
“Getting the cash out, getting honest compensation, checking out the governance of the Put up Workplace, is the important factor.”
It comes because the Put up Workplace is reeling from the fallout from the Horizon scandal, which has been referred to as the most important miscarriage of justice in UK historical past.
Greater than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses had been prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after defective accounting software program Horizon made it look as if cash was lacking from their retailers.
Lots of these affected had been financially ruined.
Mr Staunton had been appointed as Put up Workplace chairman in December 2022.
As a part of the position, marketed with a wage of as much as £150,000, he had been tasked with main the board of administrators and dealing to proper the wrongs of the Horizon dispute.
Earlier than that, he had labored on the board of firms starting from ITV to WH Smith.
A Put up Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “On Saturday afternoon, the Put up Workplace was knowledgeable that the enterprise and commerce secretary had requested Henry Staunton to face down as chairman of the Put up Workplace.
“Now we have been suggested by the federal government that they are going to appoint an interim chairman shortly.”
Watch: Labour presses authorities for ‘particular causes’ over Put up Workplace chair elimination
Additionally showing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Labour’s shadow enterprise secretary branded the federal government’s resolution to ask Mr Staunton to go “fairly uncommon”.
“The federal government have to inform us why they made this resolution seemingly yesterday”, Jonathan Reynolds mentioned.
“The one that’s going wasn’t really there for the scandal, so there have to be particular the reason why they do not believe in that particular person happening.”
Senior figures from the Put up Workplace and the know-how agency Fujitsu, which developed the Horizon software program, are presently dealing with questions at a public inquiry over what occurred.
The Conservative peer James Arbuthnot, who has campaigned on behalf of sub-post masters, informed the BBC he was stunned that Mr Staunton had left the position.
He mentioned the departure was a chance to alter the tradition and governance of the organisation.
A few of his fellow campaigners have accused the Put up Workplace management of being too sluggish to ship compensation, and too fast handy out bonuses to senior managers.
Their hope is that the appointment of a brand new chairman will sign the beginning of extra wide-ranging modifications.
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