Labour leader was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service during Horizon scandal
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) when subpostmasters were taken to court, it has been revealed. This coincided with 11 cases in which the CPS had evidence connected to the Horizon scandal.
Labour calls for swift exoneration and compensation
During Sir Keir's tenure as Chief Prosecutor from 2008 to 2013, three of these cases resulted in convictions. However, his spokesman has stated that no cases related to Horizon were brought to his desk. Labour has been advocating for the victims of the scandal and demanding quick exoneration and compensation.
Calls for clarification and disclosure
Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith has called for both Sir Keir Starmer and the CPS to clarify whether any of these cases occurred under his watch. In response, a CPS spokesperson has explained that the majority of these cases were private prosecutions brought by the Post Office. They have also stated that they have disclosed information to defendants in CPS cases involving Horizon, allowing them to pursue an appeal.
Lib Dem leader criticized for refusing to meet campaigner
In other news, Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is facing criticism after it was revealed that he refused to meet with lead campaigner Alan Bates when he was a minister in 2010.
