Capital Economy, Business and Finance
The former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has said she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect. A petition demanding that she be stripped of the honour gathered more than 1.2 million signatures after an ITV drama raised public awareness – and anger – at the wrongful conviction of hundreds of subpostmasters due to a faulty IT system when Vennells was in charge. Rishi Sunak said it was “obviously” the right decision to return the CBE – with reports that he hopes to announce something more substantial later today to clear victims’ names. The postal affairs minister said that Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty software, could also be held liable for financial compensation after an ongoing public inquiry concludes later this year.