The Post Office scandal – Politics Weekly UK

Politics Weekly UK

The Guardian

News, Politics

4.0 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2024

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

The government has announced it will introduce legislation to exonerate the many hundreds of postal workers affected by the Post Office Horizon software scandal. So is the only way to turn the government’s head to an issue to make a TV drama about it? The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to former postal worker Chris Head about the impact it had on him, and columnist Gaby Hinsliff about what this tells us about our creaking institutions. Plus, columnist Rafael Behr joins John to look at the year ahead. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Guardian.
0:10.0	Hello, remember me? I'm that holiday you never took. I was meant to be filled with fun,
0:17.0	laughter, relaxation. Instead, you worked. According to a recent poll, 50% of you don't take your full annual leave.
0:27.0	Taking a break is good for you.
0:28.0	A break with British Airways holidays is even better.
0:32.0	Relax, rejuvenate and switch off. Take your holiday as
0:36.2	seriously as British Airways holidays take your holiday,
0:39.0	at all protected. did.
0:52.0	A 300 year old institution, a decades long scandal and a government scrabbling to catch up.
0:53.0	Post office has left a trail of destruction ever since the day that a writer was introduced.
0:58.0	We're just sitting around chatting about it while they're still ruining lives.
1:09.0	At last, what a lot of people call the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history has caught the attention of the government.
1:11.0	Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure
1:16.1	that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated.
1:21.5	We may have a new rule of British public life.
1:26.7	If you're the victim of an injustice, the best route to getting it resolved is to get a
1:29.8	big broadcaster to make a four-part drama about it. I'm John Harris and you'll listen to
1:34.6	politics weekly UK for The Guardian. Joining me today is the Guardian columnist Gabby Hinsliff.
1:42.2	Hello, Gabby. Hello John.
1:44.0	Happy New Year in fact. It feels like happy new year obviously.
1:48.0	Yes it may not be the happiest year. We'll talk about that in due course.
1:50.0	Today we will be talking about the Horizon Post Office scandal and 2024, which with an election
	...

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