The chair of the Post Office has been dismissed by the government as the state-owned company reels from the Horizon IT scandal.
Henry Staunton was this weekend told by the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, that he will be replaced.
Badenoch said she “felt there was a need for new leadership. The Post Office is rightfully under a heightened level of scrutiny at this time. With that in mind, I felt there was a need for new leadership, and we have parted ways with mutual consent,” she said.
Earlier, a department spokesperson told Sky News: “The secretary of state today had a phone call with Henry Staunton, the chair of Post Office Limited (POL).
“Following this call, we can confirm that he has been dismissed as POL chair. An interim will be appointed shortly.
“It is important [the] Post Office continues the essential work to implement the necessary operational and cultural changes needed within the business.”
A Post Office spokesperson said: “On Saturday afternoon the Post Office was informed that the business and trade secretary had asked Henry Staunton to stand down as chair of the Post Office. We have been advised by the government that they will appoint an interim chair shortly.”
Staunton only became chair in December 2022, after a long career in FTSE boardrooms.
The decision to replace him comes as Rishi Sunak tries to push through new laws to “swiftly exonerate and compensate” those affected by the Horizon scandal.
“This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history,” Sunak told MPs earlier this month. “People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation.”
The government’s shareholding in Post Office Limited is managed by UK Government Investments (UKGI), which is also responsible for the public’s stakes in Channel 4 and the Met Office.
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The Post Office relies on government funding to operate and has struggled with tough competition in recent years.
Staunton previously chaired Phoenix Group, the insurance company, and WH Smith, the high street retailer.
His executive career included a stint at ITV, while he held other boardroom seats at companies such as BSkyB and Ladbrokes.
The Post Office has been contacted for comment.
