Former Post Office chair says he was told to stall Horizon compensation payouts

Henry Staunton claims request was made so government could ‘limp into’ the next general election

A former Post Office chair said he was told by a senior civil servant to stall compensation payouts to post office operators so the government could “limp into” the general election.

Henry Staunton, who was sacked by the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, last month amid anger over the Horizon scandal, said the request came soon after he took up the role in December 2022.