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PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on water firms sees millions invested into local action [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 April 2024.

Up to £11 million in water company fines and penalties will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund (WRF), Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced today (Tuesday 9th April).

All water company environmental fines and penalties since April 2022 have been ringfenced to directly improve the water environment.

The Water Restoration Fund will offer grant funding on a competitive basis to support local groups, farmers and landowners and community-led schemes, bolstering their capacity and capabilities for on-the-ground projects to improve the water environment. This could include activities that improve biodiversity and community access to blue and green spaces in areas where water companies have been issued with fines or penalties.

This delivers on the government’s long-term plan, set out in its Plan for Water, to clean up our waters and make polluters pay for the damage they cause to the environment.

The launch of the Fund follows significant action taken in recent months to hold water companies to account, including a ban on bonuses for water company executives where firms have committed serious criminal breaches, subject to Ofwat consultation, and plans to quadruple the Environment Agency’s regulatory capacity, enabling them to carry out 4,000 water company inspections by the end of this financial year.

Funding for the Water Restoration Fund comes exclusively from water company fines and penalties. These penalties and fines are additional to any reparations that water companies make when they have breached environmental regulations.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

I know how important our precious waterways are to local communities and to nature, which is why we’re taking tough action to ensure our regulators are well-equipped to hold those who pollute them to account.

Through the Water Restoration Fund, I will be making sure that money from fines and penalties – taken from water company profits only – is channelled directly back into our waterways.

Community-led projects are vital to improving and maintaining water quality across the country, and this fund will help build on that success.”

Natural England’s chief executive Marian Spain said:

Natural England welcomes the creation of Defra’s Water Restoration Fund, using the money from water company fines and penalties to improve water and wetlands for nature and people, and looks forward to supporting Defra to make good use of the funds now available.

The fund is great opportunity for landowners, communities and nature bodies to help make a real difference to the condition of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest and to restore natural processes in catchments to provide the nature and health benefits that society needs from water.

The fund will be open to a range of organisations in England, including farmers and landowners, eNGOs, Local Authorities, catchment partnerships, National Parks and National Landscapes.

The £11 million in fines and penalties collected will be allocated for water improvements in the water company areas on which they were accrued in:
- Anglian Water: £3,085,000
- South West Water: £2,150,000
- Thames Water: £3,334,000
- United Utilities: £800,000
- Yorkshire Water: £1,600,750
Applicants will have an eight-week window to apply from today, with grant awards expected to be issued from late July. For further details, please refer to our application guidance.

Further improvements recently delivered to the water environment include:
- Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England – providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen.
- Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.
- Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp ageing assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year.
- Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritising bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest and shellfish waters.
- Providing £10 million in support for farmers to store more water on their land through the Water Management Grants to support food production and improve water security.
- Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.
11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : Blue Dot Network launched to increase infrastructure investment in emerging markets [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 April 2024.

UK attends launch of new quality certification scheme at OECD Headquarters in Paris to address infrastructure gap in emerging markets.

Today (9 April), Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, jointly announced the establishment of the Blue Dot Network at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). The Blue Dot Network is an initiative to certify infrastructure projects that meet or exceed established standards of quality and sustainability.

The Secretariat will oversee the Blue Dot Network voluntary framework to certify infrastructure projects that meet internationally recognised standards for financial transparency, economic, environmental and social sustainability, climate resilience, and inclusiveness. This initiative was created to unlock additional private sector financing, recognising that quality infrastructure is a critical driver of sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

The OECD and Blue Dot Network steering committee – comprising Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States – officially launched the Blue Dot Network at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, France, and welcomed that Türkiye accepted the invitation to join the steering committee.

On April 8, CEOs and senior government leaders demonstrated their support by participating in a leaders’ dialogue to discuss how the Blue Dot Network can attract private sector investment into emerging markets to bridge the global infrastructure investment gap. Government officials and members of the Blue Dot Network’s Executive Consultation Group – representing over 200 organisations from the private sector, civil society, and academia – attended.

For further information, see https://www.bluedot-network.org/.

Background
- Australia, Japan and the United States are the founding members of the Blue Dot Network. The United Kingdom was the first country to join after the initiative was created in 2019. Spain, Switzerland and Türkiye have also since joined. Together, these seven countries are the ‘governing members’.
- UK businesses and financial institutions are part of the Blue Dot Network’s executive committee and provide technical expertise. Any interested organisation can join.
11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary to bolster support for Ukraine in visit to Washington DC [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 April 2024.

The Foreign Secretary will travel to Washington DC to urge US partners to unlock additional funding for Ukraine, giving them the tools they need to win its war with Russia.
- David Cameron visits Washington DC to reaffirm the joint UK-US commitment to support Ukraine, which remains vital for US and European security
- in discussions with Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders, he will call for urgent further support for Ukraine
- he will meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior US Government figures, reinforcing our steadfast partnership to defend freedom and democracy around the world as NATO allies
The Foreign Secretary will travel to Washington DC today (Tuesday 9 April) to urge US partners to unlock additional funding for Ukraine, giving them the tools they need to win its war with Russia.

He will hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the UK’s continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression which aims to redraw European borders by force. He will engage with key figures across Congress to call for them to change the narrative on Ukraine this year and provide the extra $60bn (over £47.5 billion) in supplementary funding that’s going through Congress.

Over $184 billion (over £145 billion) has already been committed to Ukraine by European nations including over $15 billion (nearly £12 billion) from the UK, in addition to the nearly $74 billion (nearly £59 billion) already committed by the US – which is making a huge difference on the battlefields of Ukraine and the waters of the Black Sea. Ukraine has proven time and time again that with the right tools it can succeed.

The Foreign Secretary will reassert the importance of stepping up economic pressure on Russia now and continuing to give Ukraine the military and humanitarian support it needs to hold the line this year and go on the offensive in 2025.

David Cameron will highlight how Europe and the US are united in their support for Ukraine, with European countries providing more than half of the total support. He will emphasise that nothing can match the pace and scale of US support which remains “the key stone in the arch” in the fight for freedom, democracy and the right of free countries to choose their own future.

The Foreign Secretary, David Cameron said:

Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security.

This will show that borders matter, that aggression doesn’t pay and that countries like Ukraine are free to choose their own future.

The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea.

US support for Ukraine has massively degraded the military capacity of a common adversary, Russia has lost half of its pre-invasion land combat power, and a quarter of its original Black Sea fleet, while creating jobs at home and strengthening the Western alliance and NATO.

Two years on from Russia’s illegal invasion, it’s more important than ever that as NATO allies, the UK and US continue to defend its shared values, including by upholding Euro-Atlantic security. The visit will build on the strong ties between the US and the UK and our shared commitment to defending freedom and democracy around the world.

While Ukraine continues to make gains against Russia, they are increasingly being overmatched by Russian artillery on the battlefield, underlining the importance of agreeing further US support.

Talks will also focus on the Middle East, including the path to a sustainable ceasefire and the delivery of greater quantities of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Six months on from the 7 October attacks, the UK and US have stood united in their support for Israel who suffered the worst terror attack in its history at the hands of Hamas and have been clear in Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law.

The Foreign Secretary will continue to push for a full, urgent, and transparent investigation into the terrible events in Gaza last week, which saw 3 British aid workers lose their lives. He will underline that the deaths of World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers are completely unacceptable and that major changes need to be made to ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground.

Alongside the US, the UK and other partners recently announced plans for the opening of a maritime route, which will see aid delivered by sea to a new temporary US military pier in Gaza, through a maritime corridor from Cyprus. Partners including the United Nations, Cyprus, European Commission, the UAE, Qatar, Germany, Greece, Italy and The Netherlands, have joined the UK and the US in the creation of the route.

The Foreign Secretary also will reinforce UK support for the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti by announcing a £5 million contribution to its deployment. The MSS, working with the Haitian National Police, will help to tackle gang-related violence which is destabilising the country, worsening the humanitarian situation and causing daily pain and suffering to the people of Haiti. He will emphasise that a Haitian-led political solution is the only way to tackle this insecurity head on and long-term.
11/04/2024
David Cameron – 2024 Speech on the Future Role of the NATO Alliance

The speech made by David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, on 3 April 2024.

Great to be here, in this house that has many memories for me as you can imagine, when I think of all those European Councils, where I spent late nights and early mornings, and it’s very good to be back.

Seventy five years. NATO is 75 years old. I am 57 years old. But I hope there’s more than just the symmetry of that that I bring to this discussion. I played my part in NATO’s development and am very proud I chaired the Cardiff Summit in 2014, when I think at that stage, just 3 countries met the 2% spending floor, not ceiling, floor, and now we’re in a situation where over 20 countries out of 32 meet that target and NATO is stronger.

I always feel that NATO wasn’t something I had to learn about or understand: I grew up with it. I was born and brought up between Greenham Common, where the cruise missiles were stationed, and Aldermaston, where our nuclear programme was centred. The first countries I visited as an adult were the Soviet Union and Eastern Union. So I never needed reminding or understanding of the vital importance of NATO in our national life.

And it’s been extraordinary, having supported it all through its quiet years – years in which some people whether it had a functioning brain – I never lost faith in NATO. I’ve always set the faith in NATO and it’s great to be celebrating its 75th anniversary. And the 75th anniversary when it is so much stronger today than it has been for years.

And today of course, at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting we welcomed Sweden for the first time as a full participant. And to bring 2 countries, Finland and Sweden, into NATO, both so highly capable militarily, so financially strong, so knowledgeable about the region, and their military obligations definitely makes NATO stronger.

Why is NATO so successful? What is next for NATO? What will truly determine its success or failure in the years ahead?

Why so successful? You’d have to back to 1948 and something Ernest Bevin said, he said: ‘decisions we take now will be vital to the future peace of the world’. That was absolutely prophetic and right. At the heart of NATO’s success is the incredible simplicity of Article Five: an attack on one is an attack on all is something all participants and all people could understand.

And of course, it was combined with that sense when it was founded of a clear and growing threat. And Most of NATO’s life has had a clear threat; we certainly have that today. Its success is clearly based on its continued expansion.

What is next for NATO? While it’s clear NATO is not a participant in the conflict in Ukraine, the outcome of that war what happens in Ukraine is, in my view, absolutely vital to the future of Ukraine, and that is why one of the reasons why Britain so strongly supports Ukraine struggle.

I was meeting earlier with the Slovak Foreign Minister and I pointed out something that not a lot of people know, that my closest relative who was in politics, Duff Cooper, who resigned in 1938 because of the Munich Conference and the decision to dismember Czechoslovakia. To me what we face today is as simple as that. We have a tyrant in Europe who is trying to redraw borders by force. You can appease that approach or you can confront that approach, which is undoubtedly the right thing to do, to confront.

And that is what we’re doing by giving Ukraine such strong support. I see with Ukraine 2 futures that are open to NATO, to Europe and countries like Britain: there is a future where we support Ukraine, where Putin does not win in Ukraine, where Ukraine recovers its territory and is capable of having a just peace.

That future is an incredibly bright one for Britain, for Europe, for NATO – it’s a future where NATO will be strong, everyone will see the strength of its alliance, everyone will recognise Ukraine should be and will be a part of NATO, NATO’s capability will grow and people will see that we in the West are capable of standing up to a threat of this magnitude.

But there is another future, for NATO, the West, Britain and that is one where we allow Ukraine to fail and Putin to succeed; and the celebrations will be held in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and North Korea. That is a very bleak future: not only because I believe other European countries would be at risk but I think all around the world people will look around and wonder how willing to stand up for our Allies, how reliable we were as an Ally.

And even, the absolute key to NATO of Article 5, Allies in Europe will start looking at each other and wondering how much they can really trust each other, when they said they were going to stand up for each other and oppose aggression. I think the biggest test for European nations is this issue of Ukraine and that is why it is my number one priority as Foreign Secretary and something that this government is giving so much effort and thought and resources to.

But of course it’s not the only threat and it’s not the only issue that NATO has to face in terms of what is next. we face an incredibly dangerous and difficult and disputation relational world with so many conflicts. We have the instability in the Middle East instability in Africa, more conflicts in Africa than perhaps we’ve had for the last 40 years.

And of course, we had a timely reminder last week with the issue of Chinese, the cyber attacks on great hardware blocks, that we face threats, not only in terms of the Russian threat, but also the threat that we face, instability to our South and in the Indo-Pacific reaching into our own region. NATO has a role to play in addressing all of those threats. The UK is determined to support all the NATO strategies in dealing with those threats.

The final point I wanted to make is, what will determine the success or failure of NATO? There are some simple, Treasury-like technical answers to that: success will depend on more and more countries reaching 2% or more countries seeing 2% as a floor and not a ceiling and we have seen such great progress there.

A large part of the answer will be how capable NATO is of modernising all our armed forces and making sure their compatibility interoperability. A lot of NATO success will depend on when we make Ukraine a member, with its professional and capable armed forces.

But I would say the biggest determinant of success or failure goes back to what I said at the start: I grew up believing in NATO because it had a relevance to my life. If you came of age politically in the 1980s, you could see the importance of the solidarity that NATO brought, you could see the importance of the strong defence that kept Europe and Britain safe. But can we actually say that, about future generations, you haven’t grown up with that knowledge but have grown up in a different situation?

And I think we have to win the argument for NATO all over again with a new generation. A generation that can see yes, the threat from Russia. We need to go back to a foundational argument, which is this, that fundamentally the greatness of NATO is that it allows countries to choose their own future.

When I looked at my colleagues from Latvia, Lithuania Estonia, when I look at Radek Sikorski from people whose countries who chose to join NATO after the fall of the Iron Curtain, NATO membership is really what gave them the ability to make a choice about the sort of country they would be and the values they would follow.

That’s an incredibly strong values-based argument that a younger generation can understand and see. I just think the one figure to back it up: when the Iron Curtain fell, Poland recovered its ability to govern itself and its economy was 3 times the size of that of Belarus; today it’s 10 times the size.

There’s no reason why Ukraine is so many times poorer than Poland, very similar countries, very similar parts of the world. It’s the ability NATO gives to allow countries to choose to be democracies, to choose to have rights and to choose to have the rule of law, to adopt an open-market trading system and form those sorts of relations with other countries.

That’s the argument I think we need to make today and that is the argument that can help us to win all over again the backing for NATO, that it will need, as we ask our publics to fund and support the defence budgets and NATO budgets, as we ask NATO to do more, not just in supporting what we’re doing in UKR but also supporting what we need to do in a more unstable and more unsafe words.

So I feel more confident as a 57 year-old supporting a 75 year-old that I’m backing a winner: it’s been a winner for 75 years, it’s been it’s been the most successful defensive alliance in the history of the world and if we back it financially, and back it in its expansion and also back it with values-based arguments, there’s no reason it won’t continue have another 75 years of extraordinary success.

11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK participates in largest international airdrop into Gaza [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 9 April 2024.

The Royal Air Force participated in a large-scale international aid airdrop into Gaza on Tuesday (9 April 2024) to coincide with Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

Collectively delivering hundreds of tonnes of aid, this was the largest airdrop of aid into Gaza on a single day and the culmination of careful planning alongside international partners to ensure the complex mission could be conducted safely and effectively.

Led by the Jordanian Armed Forces, the international operation saw 9 nations* and 14 aircraft drop essential aid.

An RAF A400M flew this morning from Amman, Jordan to airdrop over 10 tonnes of aid, including ready-to-eat meals, water and rice, along the northern coastline of Gaza. The flight took around an hour with other nations’ aircraft dropping aid throughout the course of the day. The A400M Atlas and crew are based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire with both RAF and British Army personnel supporting the operation in Jordan. Over the last two weeks they have dropped over 53 tonnes of aid on six flights.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The prospect of famine in Gaza is real and today’s international airdrop will provide life-saving food supplies for civilians.

This is the sixth RAF airdrop in recent weeks, delivering over 53 tonnes of aid, including water, flour and baby formula.

After six months of war in Gaza, the toll on civilians continues to grow. We continue to stand by Israel’s right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists, who have failed the people of Gaza and hide behind civilians. This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released and the aid must flood in.

Today’s international airdrop is part of UK efforts to provide vital humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and follows the announcement of a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza. This includes the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to the Eastern Mediterranean as well as up to £9.7 million for aid deliveries.

The maritime corridor initiative will see tens of thousands of tonnes of aid pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza, via a new US temporary pier being constructed off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has now agreed to open.

The UK is also focused on ensuring more aid can enter Gaza by land, and deliveries will be scaled up with the opening of the Erez crossing. In partnership with the World Food Programme, the UK’s largest delivery of aid – more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid – crossed the border on 13 March.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

Led by our Jordanian partners, we have joined nations around the world to mark the end of Ramadan by getting life-saving aid into Gaza. Thousands of people in desperate need will benefit from this united effort.

The UK remains ready to play its part in getting supplies in by land, air and sea, but the people of Gaza need more.

We continue to push Israel as hard as we can to get more aid across the border and delivered throughout the region. Words must turn into action – this is essential to avoid an even more severe humanitarian crisis.

Sunday marked 6 months since the devastating October 7 terrorist attacks, and almost a week since British aid workers were killed trying to get life-saving food to those in need. The UK continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, as the fastest way to get hostages safely home and more aid in.

11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : We need to focus on the vital elements for a lasting peace in Gaza: UK statement at the UN General Assembly [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 April 2024.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN General Assembly debate on Gaza.

President, Sunday marked six months since Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history. Six months that over 100 innocent hostages continue to be held by Hamas in Gaza. The UK condemns the October 7th attacks unequivocally and calls for the unconditional and immediate release of all the hostages.

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with international humanitarian law, as we have said from the outset.

President, over 200 aid workers have died, over 33,000 Palestinian civilians, including 12,000 children have died. Civilians in Gaza are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. There must be a reduction in civilian casualties.

President, I wish to make three points:

First, we need to see an immediate humanitarian pause, leading to a sustainable ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life. This is the fastest way to get the hostages out, and much needed aid in. Security Council resolution 2728 called for that, and we call on all parties to implement its provisions urgently. We welcome the ongoing negotiations led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US to this end.

Second, more must be done to ensure significantly more live-saving aid reaches people in need in Gaza. We have reiterated the need for Israel to put in place an effective deconfliction mechanism immediately and urgently scale up humanitarian access.

Israel has committed to significant steps to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza, including allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Port of Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint. For a long time, the UK has urged Israel to take these steps and they are welcome.

We also need to see an improvement in the operating environment within Gaza, so that as more aid gets in, it can be distributed quickly and effectively. We are calling on Israel to make progress on the UN’s minimal operating requirements, including more visas and driver approvals and more trucks permitted to cross into Gaza.

For our part, the UK has trebled our aid commitment this financial year. We will keep doing everything we can to get more aid in by land, sea, and air to reach people in desperate need in Gaza.

Thirdly, finally, we need to focus on the vital elements for a lasting peace. These include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas’s capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.

Thank you.

11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with President Macron of France [April 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to France’s President Emmanuel Macron this afternoon.

The Prime Minister hailed the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale and exchange of troops at Buckingham Palace and the Elysée today as a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between our nations.

The leaders looked ahead to the upcoming UK-hosted European Political Community meeting and committed to work together to deliver a successful summit that addresses a range of shared European priorities, including defending Ukraine, progressing cooperation on artificial intelligence and joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime.

On Ukraine, the Prime Minister and President agreed on the importance of intensifying efforts to deny Russia a victory in their war of aggression against Ukraine. They discussed priorities for the coming months, including increasing the supply of munitions, drones and air defence to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The leaders updated on ongoing cooperation to tackle small boats crossings and organised immigration crime, delivering on the partnership agreed at last year’s UK-France Summit. They shared their concerns at the increasingly dangerous and violent tactics being used by people smugglers and the Prime Minister said more needed to be done between European partners to prevent a devastating loss of life at sea.

The Prime Minister and President Macron also discussed the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East. They shared their deep concern at the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reiterated the importance of securing an immediate pause in the fighting and taking steps to de-escalate regional tensions, including in Lebanon.

11/04/2024
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Prime Minister Orpo of Finland [April 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 April 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, this morning. He welcomed Finland’s historic accession to Nato and critical contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, particularly in the face of growing threats from Russia.

The leaders agreed it was vital to continue supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, including by increasing Nato countries’ domestic munitions production and stockpiles. They highlighted the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia and unlocking finance for Ukraine’s defence and long-term recovery.

They also discussed the shared challenge of illegal migration, and the Prime Minister highlighted the need for innovative solutions across Europe.

The Prime Minister also expressed his condolences to the Finnish people for last week’s school attack, and looked forward to meeting Prime Minister Orpo the European Political Community meeting in the UK in July.

11/04/2024
David Smith – 2024 Witness Statement to the Post Office Horizon Inquiry

The witness statement issued by David Smith, the former Managing Director of the Post Office, on 11 April 2024.

Witness Statement (in .pdf format)

11/04/2024
NEWS STORY : Former Post Office Boss David Smith Admits Saying Imprisonment of Seema Misra was “Brilliant News”

STORY

David Smith, the former Managing Director of the Post Office, has apologised for saying that the imprisonment of Seema Mistra, an innocent victim of the Project Horizon scandal, was “brilliant news”. Smith, answering questions at the Horizon IT inquiry made an allegation that Paula Vennells told him that the IT system was “tamper proof”. Smith also accepted responsibility for not reflecting on the growing scandal “in the way that I have should have done”. Smith almost admitting under questioning that he was not aware of important information reaching him and he couldn’t explain why that was.

The Post Office Horizon scandal is widely considered one of the UK’s largest miscarriages of justice. Horizon, an accounting system installed in Post Offices branches starting in 1999, displayed significant errors which led to shortfalls in accounts, for which subpostmasters were held personally liable. The Post Office aggressively pursued these subpostmasters, resulting in prosecutions, bankruptcy, imprisonment, and even suicides. Despite subpostmasters’ claims that the system was flawed, the Post Office maintained Horizon was robust. It took years of legal battles before the courts determined Horizon was riddled with bugs with the scandal leading to the establishment of the independent Horizon Inquiry.

RESOURCES

Post Office Horizon Inquiry

David Smith’s Witness Statement

11/04/2024