To: Gareth Thomas MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports, and Attorney General The Lord Hermer, The Rev Paula Vennells

Demand Paula Vennells Return Her £2,000,000 of Post Office Bonus money.

Photo by Mylo Kaye on Unsplash
 
We, the undersigned, call on Paula Vennells to:

  • Return, or be made to return, every penny of the over £2,000,000 bonuses she received from the Post Office since 2013.

Paula Vennells was the CEO of the Post Office during a time when hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted due to the catastrophic failures of the Horizon IT system. Her delaying actions in managing and concealing critical information about Horizon's liabilities not only perpetuated the injustice but also artificially inflated the Post Office's reported profitability, directly impacting the bonuses she received.

We demand:

  • That Paula Vennells voluntarily give back all bonuses received since 2013, acknowledging the moral and ethical obligation to those wronged by the Horizon scandal, and the fact that her bonuses were based on an inflated perception of the company's performance due to her concealment of liabilities.
  • That these funds be used to support the compensation and rehabilitation of the sub-postmasters who suffered from this miscarriage of justice.
  • That if she refuses to do so, that the government take steps to deprive her of the money for the reasons stated above.

Why is this important?

 
  • Justice for Victims: The bonuses were awarded during years when sub-postmasters faced wrongful accusations, prosecutions, and personal ruin. Returning these bonuses would be a step towards acknowledging the immense harm caused.
  • Moral Accountability: By delaying and covering up the Horizon system's issues, Vennells concealed liabilities that would have significantly affected the Post Office's financial health, thereby enabling her to receive bonuses under false pretenses. Returning these bonuses would reflect genuine remorse and accountability for her part in one of the UK's largest corporate scandals.
  • Setting Precedents: This action would set a powerful precedent for corporate accountability, ensuring that executives cannot profit from systemic failures, conceal liabilities, and escape the consequences of their actions.