Ed Davey facing election challenge from former Post Office worker

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Liberal Democrat chief Sir Ed Davey might be challenged in his constituency on the basic election by a former Post Office worker who’s demanding justice for all these affected by the Horizon scandal.

Yvonne Tracey, who spent three many years on the Post Office, mentioned Sir Ed, who served as postal affairs minister from 2010 to 2012, can’t be allowed to face once more “unchallenged” in his southwest London seat of Kingston and Surbiton, the place she lives.

Sir Davey, who has confronted calls to resign over the lots of of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who have been wrongly held accountable for accounting errors created by defective software program, earlier this week mentioned he “deeply regretted” not attending to the underside of the scandal however refused to apologise.

Conservative ministers have accused Mr Davey, who mentioned he had been lied to repeatedly on an “industrial scale” by the Post Office, of not asking the fitting questions.

Ms Tracey, a 68-year-old grandmother, instructed Sky News these affected by the scandal are “still not hearing the truth”, including that the current ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which introduced the affairs again into the general public highlight, made her “very sad” and “very angry”.

Sir Ed initially refused to satisfy sub-postmaster Alan Bates, whom the ITV drama is known as after, saying in a brief letter that it “wouldn’t serve any purpose”.

He met Mr Bates later and he was the primary minister on public report to take action.

A sub-postmaster who ran a publish workplace in Sir Ed’s constituency misplaced his residence, his enterprise and tried to take his personal life on multiple event after being caught up within the scandal, Ms Tracey, who waselected to Kingston Council in 2022 and represents the native residents’ group, mentioned.

“He tried three times to get in touch with Sir Ed and every time he was turned away, refused or ignored,” she added.

The Liberal Democrats mentioned the sub-postmaster lived exterior Sir Ed’s constituency and parliamentary conference meant he was subsequently unable to get entangled within the case.

On Wednesday prime minister Rishi Sunak introduced new laws to exonerate wrongly convicted Post Office department managers after one of many worst miscarriages of justice in British historical past.

The prime minister additionally mentioned there can be a brand new upfront cost of £75,000 for a few of these affected.

Mr Sunak mentioned a brand new regulation can be launched so folks wrongly convicted within the Horizon scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated’’.

He told the Commons: “This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history.

“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.”