Post Office chairman Henry Staunton has resigned due to the Horizon IT scandal. Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch confirmed she asked him to leave over governance issues at the Post Office. Staunton, who only took up the post in December 2022, agreed to step down in an agreement with Badenoch.
The issue of Staunton’s termination was brought to light during an interview on Sky’s “Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips” program. When asked about the situation, Badenoch stated, “Yes, we had a conversation and we agreed that it was better that the Post Office had new leadership going forward.” She also noted that Staunton’s successor will be appointed soon.
Kemi Badenoch emphasized that the decision to ask Staunton to step down stemmed from issues beyond the Horizon scandal. She mentioned disagreements within the board and stressed the importance of having different people to deal with different issues. Regarding the Horizon scandal, she affirmed that Fujitsu, the company responsible for the faulty software, should pay compensation for the impacted postmasters.
When asked about potential changes within the Post Office staff, Badenoch declined to elaborate, stating that she wouldn’t discuss personnel matters on live television. She also defended her own position, stating that resigning as the Post Office’s sole shareholder doesn’t make sense because people don’t understand the structure of the Post Office.
Finally, Ms. Badenoch said the government intends to move swiftly with Horizon compensation schemes. She said shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds supports the decision to resign Henry Staunton and believes the organization as a whole needs to address the issue.