meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
This Is Why

'Why did we have to wait for a TV drama?': Post Office convictions quashed

This Is Why

Sky News

Daily News, News, News Commentary

4.0552 Ratings

🗓️ 10 January 2024

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Rishi Sunak's promised a new law to exonerate and compensate Post Office branch managers who were wrongly prosecuted in the Horizon IT scandal. But those seeking payouts will have to sign a statement of truth to say they didn't commit the crimes they were accused of.

Lee Castleton - who was played by Will Mellor in ITV's drama about their plight - is back on the Sky News Daily with his reaction as he talks to Niall Paterson about the government's response alongside Bryan Glick, editor of Computer Weekly, which first exposed the story in 2009.

Plus, Niall looks at what's happening in Ecuador after armed men stormed a TV station while it was on air. Joining him to talk about the drugs gangs that have declared war on the country's leaders is Dr Christopher Sabatini, a senior research fellow for Latin America at Chatham House and a senior professor of practice at the London School of Economics' School of Public Policy.

On the Horizon scandal, the Post Office said: "We're continuing to make interim payments in other cases. We fully share the aims of the current public inquiry, set up to establish what went wrong in the past, and the accountability for it."

Fujitsu said: “Fujitsu is fully committed to supporting the Inquiry in order to understand what happened and to learn from it. Out of respect for the Inquiry process, it would be inappropriate for Fujitsu to comment further at this time.”

Producer: Soila Apparicio
Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles
Promotions producer: Jonathan Day
Senior producer: Annie Joyce
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome back to the Sky News Daily with me, Neil Patterson, where just a little later, we will focus on Ecuador.

0:12.9

There, a television station was taken over by armed gunmen live on air, and the drug gangs responsible have declared war on the country's government,

0:22.1

military and police, worrying indeed. So if you've wondered what on earth is going on in Ecuador,

0:27.5

that is for you. But first, well, we simply had to return to the Post Office Horizon scandal

0:33.4

after what we heard today at PMQs. Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation

0:40.7

to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal

0:44.8

are swiftly exonerated and compensated.

0:49.2

By now, many of you will have seen Mr Bates versus the post office.

0:53.3

Lee Castleton was on Monday's podcast.

0:55.8

He was a postmaster in East Yorkshire,

0:58.3

and he featured in the ITV drama as played by Will Mellar.

1:02.6

Now, Lee was made bankrupt after his horizon system

1:05.0

showed shortfalls of 25,000 pounds,

1:07.5

yet he had tried to call those responsible

1:10.2

more than 90 times to say he thought

1:13.2

the software had to be faulty. Certainly a starter and very appreciates. I'm, I do worry about

1:19.7

certain aspects of it, but it's been a really long journey. It's been nearly 20 years for me,

1:24.2

and it's important to work to the victims to keep moving forward.

1:28.3

The 75,000 pounds, GLO, entry payment will be met with great happy tidings for many of the

1:34.5

group.

1:34.9

I just wish we could get some finality really.

1:37.9

Also joining us, Brian Glick, editor of Computer Weekly.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sky News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sky News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.