My Government held the keys. My Government sat on its hands. My government watched injustice and corruption and ignored the Post Office oversight of Horizon scandal. My Government allows the managers to pick up enormous bonuses years after the scandal was exposed. My Government ignored that many former postmasters and postmistresses had their lives ruined. How can this be?

The Postmasters and mistresses had to cope with the long-term impact of a criminal conviction and imprisonment, some at a time when they had been pregnant or had young children. Marriages broke down, and courts have heard how some families believe the stress led to health conditions, addiction and premature deaths.

The office of Post Master General was abolished in 1969 by the Post Office Act of 1969. A replacement corporation, governed by a chairman, was established under the name of the Post Office (later subsumed by The Royal Mail Group. The cabinet position of Postmaster General was replaced by a Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, with reduced powers, until 1974; most regulatory functions have now been delegated to the The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, and Sport.

The cases of individual suffering are too many to mention, yet the law stood bye, and magistrates and judges continued to send innocent people to prison. The Government sat on its hands when it was obvious that something was radically wrong. The Managers and Directors of the Post Office continued to deny the probability that the technology was at fault, they preferred to believe that long-serving faithful employees had suddenly turned into crooks. How could this be?

Suicide and ruination of families has been the common lot of Post Office sub post-masters/mistresses and yet through the several governments since the beginning of this dreadful saga, no one in Government has intervened. Yes, this Group of companies is owned by you and me, it is overseen by our so-called Government. The clowns and the self important influencers have shown that as far as the Post Office goes no one cares or gives a damn.

Included in this hall of shame must be, The Government, The Chairpersons and Directors (executive and non-executive)of the Post office Group, the auditors and many lawyers and defenders of our system of fairness. Last of all, you and me. What sort of corrupt system do we allow by our acquiescence?

We condescend to laugh at banana republics, what is the UK? A corrupt and careless society where only influencers matter. Shame on us all!