Former Head of Union for Sub-Postmasters Denies Claims of Being “Too Close” to Post Office and Lacking Sympathy for Wrongfully Convicted
George Thomson, former General Secretary of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP), appeared before the Post Office inquiry on Friday to address allegations that the union had become too closely aligned with the Post Office and lacked empathy for those who were wrongfully convicted during the Horizon IT system scandal.
Earlier this year, the TUC claimed that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) had been prevented from effectively organizing at the Post Office, and alleged that the NFSP had received funds from the organization. However, Mr. Thomson denied these claims, stating that the NFSP worked closely with the Post Office in order to ensure the success of their franchise.
During the inquiry, an email from August 2013 was presented, outlining plans for a 15-year contract between the Post Office and NFSP. This contract included annual payments of up to £2.5 million from 2017 to 2028. Mr. Thomson stated that it took a great deal of effort to convince then-Post Office CEO Paula Vennells to agree to the deal, and that her team would have preferred the NFSP to “wither on the vine.”
When questioned about the financial dependence of the NFSP on the Post Office at the time of the Horizon IT issues, Mr. Thomson explained that the federation had lost 8,500 sub-postmasters in the previous 12-13 years and the funds were intended to replace membership fees. He also clarified that these payments were not tied to the Horizon system.
In addition, the inquiry also addressed an article from 2009 in Computer Weekly which featured the cases of several high-profile sub-postmasters, including Sir Alan Bates. The article stated that the NFSP had refused to help these individuals investigate their concerns. Mr. Thomson defended the union’s actions, stating that they had to seek permission from the Post Office before taking action and that they had fought on behalf of these members.
Mr. Thomson also addressed the issue of Horizon IT system, stating that he had investigated 20-30 cases at the highest level during his time as General Secretary. He claimed that if he had known more about the system’s faults, he would have hired a computer expert to assist. He also defended the system, stating that it was strong and robust.
However, some former sub-postmasters expressed anger towards Mr. Thomson’s testimony on Friday. One individual, Christopher Head, wrote on X: “[Mr Thomson] and his organization failed in their main duty to protect their members. They are a disgrace and have no place representing the interests of current Postmasters.” He called for the NFSP to be disbanded.
Between 1999 and 2015, more than 700 sub-postmasters were wrongfully convicted due to errors in the Horizon IT system, which made it appear as though money was missing from branch accounts. This has been deemed as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history.