PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have both resisted backing calls for a former Post Office boss to lose her CBE over the Horizon scandal.

Demands for the Honours Forfeiture Committee to remove the honour from Paula Vennells have emerged again after ITV aired a new drama into the scandal, which has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.

Ms Vennells oversaw the organisation while it routinely denied there were problems with its Horizon IT system.

RELATED STORIES

The Prime Minister on Thursday, January 4, declined to say whether she should lose her honour, while Sir Keir Starmer stressed that compensation for victims is “overdue”.

“There’s an independent process for honours forfeiture, which is done by an independent committee, so that’s a separate process from Government,” Mr Sunak said.

He added: “But, more generally, my job is to make sure that we’re putting in place the compensation schemes and all those people who were awfully treated, suffered an appalling miscarriage of justice, get the justice that they deserve, and that’s what we’re delivering.

“I’m pleased we’re delivering that and I’d urge anyone affected to come forward and make sure that they can benefit from those schemes.”

The scandal saw more than 700 Post Office branch managers handed criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software made it appear as though money was missing.

A public inquiry into the scandal is ongoing.

Ms Vennells later said she was “truly sorry” for the “suffering” caused to sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of offences.

Postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake this week added to calls for her to lose her CBE, telling ITV’s Good Morning Britain she should “seriously consider handing that back voluntarily."

Readers across our coastal titles - the Pioneer, Journal, Free Press and North Wales Chronicle, have also shared their views about Ms Vennells and whether she should lose her CBE.

Beki Price said: "Alan is a true hero. Paula should have that CBE taken away."

Linda Groom said: "She should return the award and do the honourable thing."

Angie O'Grady commented: "The award should be returned it was not earned in an honourable way and is an insult to the sub postmasters and the hell they were subjected to.

"It beggars belief how she was awarded it in the first place. Take it from her now."

Patrick Molloy said: "This is the type of man [Alan Bates] who actually deserves a Knighthood."

Janet Law asked: "How did she get nominated for or an honour in the first place?"

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office started on ITV on New Year’s Day. It concluded on Thursday evening.