Hero Alan Bates brands Post Office bosses ‘thugs in suits’ at public inquiry
HERO campaigner Alan Bates called Post Office bosses “little more than thugs in suits”, a public inquiry heard yesterday.
And he was sacked as he was deemed “unmanageable”, the inquiry was told.
Mr Bates — who led 555 subpostmasters to the High Court over the scandal — yesterday gave evidence at the inquiry where a 2010 letter he wrote to then Postal Affairs Minister Ed Davey was revealed.
The now Lib Dem leader had refused to meet him.
His letter read: “It is because you adopted an arms-length relationship that you’ve allowed a once great institution to be stripped by little more than thugs in suits.”
Mr Bates said he was fired in 2003 for “raising problems and concerns” over faulty tech.
But the inquiry was also shown an undated slide made by the Post Office about the Horizon software which said: “Bates had discrepancies but was dismissed because he became unmanageable.
“Clearly struggled with accounting, and despite support, did not follow instructions.”
Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells will give evidence next month.