carlThe former chairman of the Post Office, Henry Staunton, reportedly urged government ministers to double CEO Nick Read’s salary to prevent his resignation from the organization, as revealed during questioning in the House of Commons by business minister Kevin Hollinrake. Staunton’s request for a pay increase came to light after his appearance at the Commons Business and Trade Committee, where he claimed that Read was planning to resign due to dissatisfaction with his salary. Hollinrake disclosed that Staunton sought to double Read’s overall package twice.
The revelations sparked surprise among MPs during the session. The ongoing Post Office Horizon IT saga, recently brought back into the headlines by the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs. The Post Office,’ raises concerns about governance and accountability within the organization.
Staunton, whom business secretary Kemi Badenoch recently dismissed, alleged that Read was under investigation after a falling out with his HR director. The Post Office declined to comment directly, directing inquiries to a statement by Ben Tidswell, senior independent director on the Post Office Board, emphasizing Read’s ongoing commitment to his role amid the challenges faced by the organization.
“Despite the distractions happening around us, the Board asks that we all remain focused on supporting the government to bring about faster justice and redress to victims and helping build a Post Office that supports the Postmasters of today.”
It will be interesting to see how this story develops but rest assured, we here at Prolific London will be providing updates when we get more information.
