i am james arbuthnot. — sub-postmasters. i am james arbuthnot, i— sub-postmasters., i was the - sub-postmasters. i am james arbuthnot, i was the mp - sub-postmasters. i am james arbuthnot, i was the mp for l sub-postmasters. i am james| arbuthnot, i was the mp forjo arbuthnot, i was the mp forjo hamilton when i was the mp for north east hampshire, and i am a member of the horizon compensation advisory board. mi; the horizon compensation advisory board. y . the horizon compensation advisory board. g ., , ., ., �* ., board. my name is neil ho'o, i'm a solicitor representing _ board. my name is neil ho'o, i'm a solicitor representing 77 h board. my name is neil hojo, i'm a solicitor representing 77 convicted l solicitor representing 77 convicted sub—postmasters, 150 affected by the horizon _ sub—postmasters, 150 affected by the horizon shortfall scheme, another potentially 200, so about 400 people affected _ potentially 200, so about 400 people affected directly by the post office scandal _ affected directly by the post office scandal. ., ~ , ., affected directly by th

and earlier in the show, i was joined in the studio by lord james arbuthnot , and he led an james arbuthnotgot involved . it was why he got involved. it was a constituency issue which two sub postmasters raised with me together. >> uh , a man from odiham post >> uh, a man from odiham post office, david bristow and jo hamilton from south warnborough and there wasn't much i felt i could do. i had a meeting with the post office along with another mp who was the mp for alan bates. there wasn't much i felt i could do because jo hamilton had pleaded guilty, so she obviously couldn't appeal. um, but then subsequently david bristow's replaced as subpostmaster in odiham was himself removed for exactly the same reasons. and i thought, this is absurd . this is clearly this is absurd. this is clearly not a coincidence . it is a not a coincidence. it is a systemic issue that we've got to deal with. so at that stage, having written previously to the minister and got a reply saying, sorry, it's an arms length organisation , not not us govt , organisation, not not us govt, don't don't trouble me with it .

process and to make sure it works properly and i've been talking to one of those members, lord james arbuthnotne of his constituents who were convicted in 2009 and he outlined part of the problem for me. for them to have to come forward is itself an affront, because they have to come forward and they have to apply for their conviction to be overturned and they then have according to current rules, have the burden of proof of showing that their conviction is unsafe and that's all wrong and given the way the post office has behaved over so many years, it ought not to be for the sub—postmasters to have to prove they were badly treated. we all know they were badly treated. it ought to be something that is done en masse so we can put it behind us and move on. so the post office have apologised time and again and lord arbuthnot pointed out there were good people working there now trying to sort this out but it will take time and there is a public inquiry going on at the moment and the post office did tell us that they are behind the inquiry and want to get accountability for what went wrong and a fe

let me introduce now a conservative peer and former mp, lord james arbuthnot, who you will know if you the drama, he has been campaigning on this issue for over decades and many of his constituents will know he has been campaigning after his constituent postmistress jo been campaigning after his constituent postmistressjo hamilton came to him for help in 2009 9p is a clip from the drama. 50 came to him for help in 2009 9p is a clip from the drama.— clip from the drama. so now if you re-declare — clip from the drama. so now if you re-declare everything _ clip from the drama. so now if you re-declare everything it _ clip from the drama. so now if you re-declare everything it will - re—declare everything it will bounce, 0k? re-declare everything it will bounce, 0k?— re-declare everything it will bounce, 0k? , , ., , bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank yom _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go away, - bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go away, stay| boun

i've been talking to one of those members, lord james arbuthnot.e of his constituents who was convicted in 2009 and he outlined part of the problem for me. for them to have to come forward is itself an affront, because they have to come forward and they have to apply for their conviction to be overturned and they then have to, according to current rules, have the burden of proof of showing that their conviction is unsafe and that's all wrong and given and that's all wrong given the way the post office has behaved over so many years, it ought not to be for the sub—postmasters to have to prove they were badly treated. we all know they were badly treated. it ought to be something that is done en masse so we can put it behind us and move on. this behind us and move on. lets speak to richard moorhead, a professor of law and ethics at exeter university, who has dedicated his research to the legal failings around the post office scandal. thank you forjoining us. when the prime minister says he is considering extra measures to make this right for the victi

james arbuthnot, lord arbuthnot, is a member of the horizon compensation advisory board and former conservativeub—postmasters also have people representing them who are also asking really powerful questions. of these investigators, at the moment, who lied on an almost daily basis, who lied on an almost daily basis, who were incentivised to get convictions rather than justice. who were incentivised to get convictions rather thanjustice. and convictions rather than justice. and there convictions rather thanjustice. and there are shocking stories coming out but i have faith in sherwin—williams, he has been doing a really good job in running this public inquiry and i think most sub—postmasters who have been involved in it also have faith in him. and i also have faith in the minister kevin hollinger rick because before he became a minister he was one of the people campaigning on behalf of the sub—postmasters so we are getting to the heart of the solution but it is taking far too long. as we've been reporting, the government confirmed it will introduce a one—off £75,000 payment for the 555 ex—postmas

but the way individual mps, as you were doing this afternoon and as james arbuthnot did over the postpeople who helped lead the fight back . as we saw in the the fight back. as we saw in the itv drama of mr bates v the post office. so ministers , you know, office. so ministers, you know, may or may not be doing their job. um, and maybe too easily swayed by civil servants , but swayed by civil servants, but sooner or later it's stituents go to their members of parliament and some of them as james heale arbuthnot did over the post office. really, they do work. that's admirable. well, we can't promise an itv drama, but we can promise to come back to it on gb news regularly because it on gb news regularly because it is an important subject . it is an important subject. >> um, it's davos season , which >> um, it's davos season, which means the wealthiest and most powerful meet in an obscure swiss ski village to discuss world issues, why they do this has never really been understood by me. they seem to enjoy themselves, but the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, is there and has boldly decla

process and to make sure it works properly and i've been talking to one of those members, lord james arbuthnots who were convicted in 2009 and he outlined part of the problem for me. for them to have to come forward is itself— for them to have to come forward is itself an— for them to have to come forward is itself an affront, because they have to come _ itself an affront, because they have to come forward and they have to apply— to come forward and they have to apply for— to come forward and they have to apply for their conviction to be overturned and they then have to current _ overturned and they then have to current rules have the burden of proof _ current rules have the burden of proof of — current rules have the burden of proof of showing that their conviction is unsafe and that's all wrong _ conviction is unsafe and that's all wrong and — conviction is unsafe and that's all wrong and given the way the post office _ wrong and given the way the post office has— wrong and given the way the post office has behaved over so many years _ office has behaved over so many years it _ office has be

have to recognise that there are lots in mps james arbuthnot have to recognise that there are lots inthat there are lots in mpslords , who arbuthnot have to recognise that there are lots in mpslords , who did uthnot now in the lords, who did an amazing job for postmasters. >> we've got it. sorry to cut you off in your prime. there but michael crick, you very, michael crick, thank you very, very about very much and we will talk about this again probably just next week um, right. it's week. anyway. um, right. it's time reveal now today's time to reveal now today's greatest union jack greatest britain on union jack carson . right. let's start carson. right. okay, let's start with the greatest britons. please, harriet. >> what is this? the jacket . >> what is this? the jacket. >> what is this? the jacket. >> your greatest britain. who is youn >> your greatest britain. who is your. person you've your. who's the person you've nominated? your greatest president. >> my britain president. » my >> so my greatest britain at the moment. that moment. following on from that great interview , um, is

let me introduce now a conservative peer and former mp, lord james arbuthnot, who you will know if you the drama. so now if you re-declare everything it will - re—declare everything it will bounce, ok? re-declare everything it will bounce, ok?— re-declare everything it will bounce, ok? , , ., , bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you- _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go _ bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go away, - bounce, ok? this is so healthy, thank you. don't go away, stay| bounce, ok? this is so healthy, - thank you. don't go away, stay with me until— thank you. don't go away, stay with me until i _ thank you. don't go away, stay with me until i have done it. —— this is so helpfui~ — me until i have done it. —— this is so helpfui~ i_ me until i have done it. —— this is so helpful. i got, it'sjust doubled right— so helpful. i got, it'sjust doubled right in— so helpful. i got, it'sjust doubled right in front of my eyes. now it says— right in front of my eyes. now it says i_ right in front of my ey

james arbuthnot did the zahawi the right thing. jones, who's been labour party, been working this labour party, spoke pointed spoke to you earlier, pointed out that the tories out correctly that the tories nominated vennells for her cbe. in fact, she was put forward to be the bishop of london um, long after these allegations are already but i want to already come out. but i want to turn keir starmer, keir turn to keir starmer, keir starmer, as starmer, starmer role as a director public prosecutions director of public prosecutions at this time is coming into question. should he have intervened at that time ? intervened at that time? >> okay, look, um, i think we're getting we're slightly getting to the place where hindsight is a thing with use a wonderful thing with the use of he should of hindsight. clearly he should have keir starmer role. have done keir starmer his role. i mean , what slightly me i mean, what slightly gets me about starmer now is that about keir starmer now is that the labour have said judge the labour party have

. >> so mine is lord james arbuthnot, who's a steady, fast supporter of the postmaster orders, and he'se and that we're still talking about it. it's not only his activism with regard to the postmasters that i want to highlight. he's also a good old fashioned tory mp who backs constituents, and we backs his constituents, and we need these kind of people to be in the public eye at the moment. nice to big up an mp for change. >> and how about you, adrian? your headline hero. >> yeah, heroes actually i usually give a hero when usually like to give a hero when i on the show. just people i come on the show. just people who make and i'm who don't make the news and i'm choosing the european farmers mass protests all over europe berlin, france, toulouse, montpellier . all these cities montpellier. all these cities are at a standstill from farmers basically gathering together and protesting against the climate change targets, which is destroying their profession . destroying their profession. ian.and destroying their profession. ian. and as your one of your colleagues who comes on, one of my coll

i mean, like james mean, people like james arbuthnot, farron , you arbuthnot, um, tim farron, you knowel , know, david davis, priti patel, zahawi. yeah, even him, even him, even even though he's got stuff in his background that he, he had the honour of playing himself in that television . i himself in that television. i thought that was actually a bit tawdry. personally >> dodi should we widen this, um, to you, do you think there was an element that a lot of people in politics thought, oh, this do with computers? this is to do with computers? i don't quite understand it. >> classic example of >> it's a classic example of what in the 19th century has called the thing. >> the thing that runs britain, the factual word today is the blob . and this was an example of blob. and this was an example of how the blob covers up for itself, just judges didn't do anything great journalists are michael crick didn't do anything wrong. ex—mps like me did absolutely be all, uh, acting mps didn't do much. it was a bit complicated. it wasn't suddenly going to prison for wrongfully accused of killing someo

james arbuthnot, actually my predecessor in north—east hampshire who fought fought doggedly now my fought them. um, to really expose this scandal. yeah. >> well bravo . >> well done. bravo. >> well done. bravo. >> and rebecca, also, thank you for explaining how you say his surname, because i've been saying it wrong all day. mine is idris elba for calling an idris elba for calling for an immediate ban zombie and immediate ban on zombie and machete knives, and also for generally his work towards trying violence. trying to end knife violence. obviously, more to obviously, there's a lot more to be banning be done than just banning knives, is somewhere we knives, but it is somewhere we can suggestion. >> fabulous suggestion. well, i'm to rebecca i'm going to give it to rebecca andldns i'm going to give it to rebecca and idris elba. great actor and and idris elba. great actor and a great knife crime. a great campaign knife crime. a worrying epidemic in this country. your union jackass. >> it's em" em.- e to be carol >> well, it's got to be carol vorderman. okay. so for two reasons for what she

very indignant together, i think absolutely justifiably we by the way, i might just say that james arbuthnota pretty well. so the kevin jones as well, the role of the mp is still important, but the mps were not able to bring about what the tv drama has brought about. the realisation apparently, that the government can its way to can legislate its way to justice. thank you much to justice. thank you very much to stephen paul connew. stephen barrett and paul connew. after the i'll be joined stephen barrett and paul connew. aftone1e i'll be joined stephen barrett and paul connew. aftone of i'll be joined stephen barrett and paul connew. aftone of the i'll be joined stephen barrett and paul connew. aftone of the foremostjoined by one of the foremost historians of modern china, professor rana mitter of harvard university, to discuss the outcome elections in outcome of the elections in taiwan . taiwan. >> hello there. i'm jonathan vautrey hu, your gb news weather forecast provided by the met office. an increasing chance of seeing some snow over the next few days for some of us, we've already seen

last night, james arbuthnot . they arbuthnot was nominated.worked very closely along sir closely together along with sir david tories. it's david davis, the tories. so it's a cross—party. shows a it's cross—party. it shows that people in the the that some people in the in the comments hard comments were asking hard questions and he's my winner. >> to get it to my >> you're going to get it to my matthew because jones matthew because uh, kevin jones did did the did his bit as did the aforementioned last night as aforementioned mp last night as well. two heroes who spoke up okay. now briefly, christine, your union jackass. >> my union. oh well, i mean, >> oh my union. oh well, i mean, ineednt >> oh my union. oh well, i mean, i needn't explain , sir. dead. i needn't explain, sir. dead. davy. there you go. >> that's all you need. >> that's all you need. >> uh, all you need. >> uh, all you need. >> you. you're saying he's, uh. he's in trouble? leader of the lib dems. >> hypocrite. >> hypocrite. >> james, you're, uh. well, we don't names, actually, d

james arbuthnot, tory mp. arbuthnot, who was a tory mp.d press they don't get much good press these oh, don't go on. >> um, go on, go for it. >> they don't get much good press from people like me. but i have be honest, he sounds have to be honest, he sounds like an extraordinary man. and he very thing, he did a very simple thing, which not be entirely which is to not be entirely credulous, to very powerful people. almost people. this seems almost like a superpower for people at westminster. it's almost like, you you should in you know, you should be in a marvel comic hero because you don't believe what don't just believe what rich, powerful tell you . so i, powerful people tell you. so i, i think there's a lot of blame to go around the lib dems ed davey jo swinson, labour there was a great story out. peter mandelson was saying you had two advisers to blair when this comes out right in 1999, geoff mulgan . says, who's a blair mulgan. says, who's a blair advisor. there are some seeming problems with this system . i'm problems with this syste

um, like like um james uh arbuthnot . uh, theresa. james uh arbuthnot. uh, theresa. uh, and, um.adhim zahawi and others who really challenged , um, uh, post office challenged, um, uh, post office and um, um, and did a great deal to to, move this forward and have you had any i mean, you've been watching this scandal unroll since the itv drama . unroll since the itv drama. >> you obviously know about this from your own involvement . has from your own involvement. has this just seem to you like an accident in slow motion? did you know this was coming? you sense this was coming. you saw the injustice from inside the system. it's taken so long to come to the public mind. now, how are you feeling about this very, very pregnant pause between your findings and this actual resolution. now, eight whole years later, after you presented . presented. >> yes. i mean, it was the second site has lived with this for certainly the last ten years. um, and, and despite um representations to members of parliament and so on, um, it is quite astonished seeing the impact that, um , the mr bates impact t

james arbuthnot, who's no longer very active on this. mes arbuthrbut he )'s no longer very active on this. james arbuthrbut he was no longer very active on this. james arbuthrbut he was a no longer very active on this. james arbuthrbut he was a conservative an mp, but he was a conservative mp or the. he was mp featured in or the. he was played programme. um, uh played in the programme. um, uh showed that he was onto this many it has been many years ago. so it has been raised, but we've really now got to on this issue. to get justice on this issue. >> some might that itv >> yeah. some might say that itv is a bit of a stiffer is providing a bit of a stiffer opposition to the government than majesty's loyal than his majesty's loyal opposition, to park for opposition, but to park that for a second, what should we see practically happen now? what could be done, perhaps by the government, perhaps by parliament this very week ? parliament this very week? >> well, we need clarity today on both compensation and it needs to be sped up . and we need

i mean, this is thing with james is the thing with james arbuthnot well. many heroesz saying is the thing with james arbuthrnot many heroes inaying is the thing with james arbuthrnot many heroes in all|g there's not many heroes in all this. and again, that's portrayed in portrayed really well in this drama. this drama. you know, i think this story really story says something really significant about the political culture is significant about the political culofe is significant about the political cul' of these is significant about the political cul'of these people is significant about the political cul'of these people deferred is all of these people deferred to power, jo swinson, power, all of them. jo swinson, all davey. um, all covering sir davey. um, stephen timms, like you say, it's all three parties. yeah all the third power. the person with the third power. the person with the power says this, i believe them. said. no, the power says this, i believe theof said. no, the power says this, i believe theof these said. no, the power says this, i believe the

we've been writing about this since 2013, and we had james arbuthnot, lord arbuthnot on with us on theox here with us yesterday, he said, the mail yesterday, and he said, the mail has the good has been fighting the good fight, it did not capture fight, but it did not capture the imagination in the the public imagination in the way that this extraordinary drama, bates, versus the post drama, mr bates, versus the post office, has done. and now finally , the post office are finally, the post office are under pressure, as are at last, fujitsu. the huge , uh, fujitsu. the huge, uh, multinational worth 150 billion. they're dodgy. it says they haven't paid a penny in compensation. >> in many ways, i love the fact that this is in the public consciousness now, because it does raise awareness of all of these computer systems on which we are increasingly reliant and how flawed they can be. and how if computer says no often there's nobody to talk to. we've all been there. if you haven't seen the drama, there are these scenes in which the postmasters are on the helpline the it are on the helpline t

one of those portrayed in the series was a conservative politician, james — now lord — arbuthnot whoe's a huge challenge at the post office, changing the culture. campaigners have complained about bonuses paid to post office management and accused the publicly owned company of foot dragging over compensation. those that know henry staunton say he'd been keen to speed this up, but with an ongoing public enquiry and demands for a wider leadership shake—up, it's possible that kemi badenoch will have more changes to make. iain watson, bbc news. we're joined now by our political correspondent harry farley. harry, how soon can we expect a new chair to be appointed? good morning. we are expecting an interim chair to be appointment shortly and recruitment will begin for more permanent replacement after that. obviously, the post office very much in the headlines at the moment and in the spotlight and there is a keenness in government to be seen to be doing something, to be proactive. we understand that the departure of henry staunton was not directly related to the post office scandal but whe