London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Failures in scandal-hit Post Office IT system were raised to Tony Blair's government, inquiry hears

Failures in scandal-hit Post Office IT system were raised to Tony Blair's government, inquiry hears

A briefing from the Treasury to the then prime minister outlined a "list of failures" in relation to the rolling out of the system, a hearing has been told.

Senior officials in Tony Blair's government were aware of the technical issues with the Horizon post office computer system, the inquiry into the IT scandal has heard.

Between 2000 and 2014, more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses (SPMs) were prosecuted based on information from the accounting system.

Since then, many have had criminal convictions overturned - and millions of pounds in compensation has been awarded.

On Tuesday, Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry, referred to a briefing from the Treasury in 1998 to then-prime minister Tony Blair which outlined a "list of failures" in relation to the rolling out of the system.

That briefing stated independent reviews of the Horizon project by external IT experts had concluded its accounting system, known as ICL Pathway, had failed, and that "we are failing to meet good industry practice in taking this project forward".

The list showed that out of nearly 16 million people who should have been paid by a benefit payment card, only 30,000 were actually being paid.

It also stated delays to the programme had cost the government more than £200m in savings they would otherwise have expected to make.

The opening of the inquiry's phase two was delayed after Mr Beer raised an issue about Post Office Ltd's disclosure to the hearing.

The Post Office, he said, had notified it was "undertaking a significant organisation and review of a large number of boxes of hardcopy documents and files held at various Post Office locations throughout the UK".

Mr Beer noted that having to begin the second phase of the inquiry with a discussion on problems around disclosure was "something of a paradox, if not a matter which is dripping in irony", when one of the central issues in the probe was the Post Office's "past non-disclosure to the criminal and civil courts".

Lawyers for the victims of the scandal called for an adjournment.

The "List of Failures" sent to Tony Blair’s office.


'Their lives have been dogged'


"The Post Office has denied sub-postmasters and mistresses any choice in their lives," said Sam Stein KC, representing more than 150 of the participants.

"They demanded of them investment, demanded of them application of their work, they demanded with them that they comply with a contract that effectively said that they must pay up no matter whose fault it is.

"They then, of those individuals, prosecuted them for the civil courts and criminal courts and many went to prison. Their lives have been dogged by lack of choice by the Post Office.

"It is a significant matter that we ask you to take into account, Sir, and that their choice is to adjourn."

More than 700 people were accused of fraud or theft


Kate Gallafent KC, for the Post Office, said the company "emphatically" denies any allegation it has deliberately sought to make late or partial disclosure of relevant documents.

Chair of the inquiry Sir Wyn Williams concluded it should proceed as planned, as he was "satisfied that I can manage disclosure" and having considered the "significant impact" any further delay would have on the inquiry's timetable.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×