Alan Bates tells Keir Starmer to set deadline for Post Office scandal victims' compensation

Sir Alan Bates said that much than 70 radical person died waiting for justness portion others 'well into their 80s' are inactive suffering from the Post Office ungraded fallout

Sir Alan Bates has urged Keir Starmer to acceptable a deadline for compensation to Post Office ungraded victims.

The campaigning leader said much than 70 radical person died waiting for justness portion others "well into their 80s" are inactive suffering arsenic the ungraded rumbles on. He stressed: "A deadline [for compensation] should beryllium set."

Sir Alan said helium had written to the PM doubly successful the past period saying redress for victims needs to beryllium settled by March 2025. He told MPs connected the Business and Trade Committee helium had not received a effect from the PM.

But minutes aft his appearance, No 10 said a reply was sent to Sir Alan connected Tuesday. The PM's authoritative spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister would similar to reiterate that Sir Alan Bates has done and is doing outstanding enactment successful campaigning for justness and campaigning for justice.

"It was close that we took the clip to see the issues raised successful afloat and see our response. We engaged with applicable departments and that effect was issued earlier today."

He said that the Government intends to guarantee affected postmasters person "substantial redress" by the extremity of March.

It came arsenic Sir Alan updated MPs connected the conflict to get compensation for postmasters whose lives were destroyed aft a dodgy IT strategy made it look similar they were swindling cash.

He represents claimants from the 555 subpostmasters who took the Post Office to the High Court betwixt 2017 and 2019 - besides known arsenic the GLO scheme.

He besides told the Committee helium has not reached his ain fiscal colony with the authorities - contempt making an archetypal assertion astir 13 months ago. Asked by president Labour MP Liam Bryne "what connected world is going on", Sir Alan, who was knighted for his campaigning efforts, replied: "I privation I knew.

"I deliberation the bureaucracy of the full happening is decidedly a large problem. My archetypal assertion went successful connected October 12, 2023. I received 80% of the connection similar astir radical have, which is each good and good, but we don't look to beryllium getting precise acold forward." At the Budget past week, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that £1.8billion has been acceptable speech for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal.