Nigel Farage has renewed demands for Labour leader Keir Starmer to explain his lack of intervention in the Post Office scandal during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008-2013.
In a series of tweets, the GB News presenter insisted that Sir Keir has “serious questions to answer” over why he did not act despite prosecutions of postmasters continuing until 2015 based on the faulty Horizon IT system.
According to Express, the Post Office scandal saw over 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after Horizon inaccurately showed shortfalls in accounts. Many were financially ruined or even jailed.
Starmer’s supporters argue the prosecutions were privately brought by the Post Office rather than the CPS. However, Farage contends that as DPP, Starmer had the power to intervene in private prosecutions if deemed not in the public interest.
With anger growing following recent media spotlight on the scandal, Farage’s intervention threatens to drag Starmer directly into the fray.
Starmer has called for all remaining convictions to be reviewed and for the Post Office to be stripped of prosecution powers. But critics allege his response is insufficient given his failure to act while the prosecutions were ongoing.
The human impact from the scandal has been far-reaching, with lives and livelihoods destroyed. There is growing pressure for justice not just for victims, but also accountability from those in authority during the scandal.
As DPP, Starmer sat at the apex of the criminal justice system. While Horizon issues were well-known in legal circles, as head of the CPS it remains unclear why he did not dig deeper into potential abuses of process.
With a general election looming, the Post Office scandal threatens to undermine Starmer’s pitch to lead a party of law and order. Farage is determined to capitalize by positioning Reform UK as the true party for justice.
The government has faced criticism for the slow pace of reforms and compensation. But ministers are also highlighting Starmer’s lack of past intervention amidst the prosecutions.
For Starmer, difficult questions over the scandal are likely to intensify. Without a clear explanation of his actions as DPP, the risk of culpability grows.
Farage is cranking up the pressure by demanding a full account. And he won’t be the last seeking answers over why Starmer and the legal system stood by while one of Britain’s greatest miscarriages of justice took place
