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Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, will face opposition in his constituency during the upcoming general election. The challenger is a former Post Office employee who is seeking justice for individuals impacted by the Horizon scandal.
Yvonne Tracey, who worked at the Post Office for thirty years, stated that Sir Ed, who held the position of postal affairs minister from 2010 to 2012, should not be allowed to run uncontested for his seat in southwest London’s Kingston and Surbiton, where she resides.
Davey, the individual who has received demands to step down due to numerous sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses being falsely blamed for accounting mistakes caused by malfunctioning software, recently expressed his remorse for not uncovering the truth behind the controversy. However, he declined to issue an apology.
The Conservative ministers have claimed that Mr. Davey failed to ask the appropriate questions, after he stated that he had been consistently lied to by the Post Office.
A 68-year-old grandmother, Ms Tracey, expressed to Sky News that those impacted by the scandal are still not being told the truth. She also shared that the recent ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which brought attention back to the matter, left her feeling both saddened and angered.
At first, Sir Ed declined to meet Alan Bates, the sub-postmaster whom the ITV drama is titled after. He stated in a brief letter that it would not be beneficial.
He later encountered Mr. Bates, making him the first minister to openly acknowledge the meeting in public records.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats expressed deep regret for not fully investigating the scandal, but declined to offer an apology.
Ms. Tracey, a member of the local residents’ group and elected to Kingston Council in 2022, shared that a sub-postmaster in Sir Ed’s constituency faced severe consequences after being involved in the scandal. This individual lost their home, business, and even attempted to take their own life multiple times.
She stated that he attempted to contact Sir Ed three times, but each time was rejected, denied, or disregarded.
According to the Liberal Democrats, the sub-postmaster resided outside the constituency of Sir Ed and in accordance with parliamentary tradition, he was unable to intervene in the matter.
The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, revealed on Wednesday that a new law will be put in place to clear the names of Post Office branch managers who were wrongly convicted in one of the most egregious cases of injustice in British history.
The premier also mentioned a new initial payment of £75,000 for certain individuals impacted.
According to Mr. Sunak, a new legislation will be implemented to ensure that those who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal will be quickly cleared of charges and receive compensation.
During his speech in the Commons, he declared, “This is a grave injustice that ranks among the worst in our country’s history.”
Individuals who dedicated themselves to serving their communities were unfairly subjected to having their lives and reputations ruined. These innocent victims deserve to be granted justice and compensation.
Source: independent.co.uk
