‘Hislop Giving No F**ks’: Private Eye Editor Shreds Ex-Tory Chair For ‘Ignoring’ Post Office Scandal
Private Eye editor Ian Hislop grilled former Conservative Party Chairman Sir Jake Berry over his party’s handling of the Post Office scandal, lambasting the fact that it took “an ITV drama” to raise the issue before the government chose to act.
The fiery exchange happened on ITV’s Peston show after the scandal gained renewed attention after screenings of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office reignited public outrage.
The drama highlighted the miscarriage of justice, where numerous postmasters faced wrongful accusations of theft and fraud due to faulty IT software. The false allegations led to dire consequences for the accused, including bankruptcy, imprisonment, with some individuals even taking their own lives.
The show prompted widespread demands for justice, including a petition with over a million signatures calling for former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells to be stripped of her CBE.
Hislop, under whose stewardship the magazine broke the story in 2009, suggested that “the government preferred to listen to corporate bodies than to ordinary people.”
He protested that the government only began listening when sufficient public outrage was ignited by the ITV drama to the point that on Wednesday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged emergency legislation to reverse the wrongful convictions. He suggested that the Tory party’s recent engagement with the issue is not born out of a sense of justice but rather as a political manoeuvre in an election year.
Hislop: “Why couldn’t you do it so long ago? The fact that it takes an ITV drama and suddenly, [accused postmasters and postmistresses] having been told their entire campaigning lives: ‘This is very difficult. You’ll have to go in front of a judge. This is very, very expensive…’ to ‘Oh, this morning it isn’t. Tomorrow we’ll pass legislation and you’re all exonerated.’ I mean, it is absolutely fatuous for this government to claim, ‘hey, we’re really acting now.’ Did nothing. Did nothing the whole time.”
“Sorry that is demonstrably untrue…” Berry began.
“No, you’re not sorry,” Hislop returned.
Berry continued: “That is demonstrably complete and utter…”
Hislop began pressing hard with questions, all the while the Tory MP trying to speak over him: “Why did not give [Vennells] a CBE in 2019? Why did you appoint her to the Cabinet Office? You talk over everyone else and you’ve been doing it in the entire program.”
Host Robert Peston finally intervened, laughing embarrassedly: “Let him speak. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Viewers of the show delighted in Hislop’s righteous indignation.
An independent inquiry and a police investigation are currently underway, with business executives and former ministers under scrutiny. Despite millions paid in compensation, many victims await justice.
