Ex-Post Office chair 'out for revenge' - Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch yesterday accused the chair of the Post Office, who was sacked by her last month, of a "blatant attempt to seek revenge" after he made explosive allegations about the government's handling of the Horizon scandal.

- Eleni Courea

The business secretary launched an extended attack on Henry Staunton in the Commons yesterday, and claimed that he was under investigation for bullying when she fired him - a claim Staunton said he had never been made aware of. The extraordinary war of words began at the weekend, when Staunton was interviewed by the Sunday Times. He accused the government of wanting to delay compensation payments to victims of the Horizon scandal until after the election.

In his interview, Staunton said that Badenoch told him when she fired him: "Well, someone's got to take the rap for this." He also claimed that soon after starting his role in December 2022, he was instructed by a senior civil servant to delay compensation payouts so the Conservatives could "limp into" the general election.

Badenoch accused Staunton of a series of "completely false" accusations, telling MPs there was no proof that Staunton had been told to delay payments and that such an approach would be "mad".

"There is no evidence whatsoever that this is true," she said. "We have no evidence whatsoever that any official said this, and actually, if such a thing was said, it is for Mr Staunton himself to bring the evidence.

"People just making wild baseless accusations and then demanding proof that they didn't happen are mischief-making in my view.