Betty Brown’s fight is another Horizon scandal betrayal, and it is bitter to see that the Labour government is just as bad as the Tories on this.
The Post Office Horizon scandal — widely regarded as one of the UK’s greatest miscarriages of justice — continues to cast a long and bitter shadow over the lives it upended.
At the centre of the latest development is Betty Brown, 92 – the oldest surviving victim of the scandal, who has rejected an increased compensation offer from the government, calling it “still not good enough.”
Betty was forced out of her County Durham post office in 2003 after she and her late husband poured more than £50,000 of their savings into covering shortfalls that, as we now know, never actually existed.
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The Horizon IT system, implemented by Fujitsu and used by the Post Office, wrongly flagged discrepancies that led to more than 900 sub-postmasters being falsely accused of theft and fraud — some of whom were prosecuted, jailed, and financially ruined.
After decades of campaigning and suffering in silence, Betty, who was part of the original group legal action led by Alan Bates, had been offered just 29 per cent of her claim. That figure has now risen to 60 per cent, but Betty has rightly rejected it, saying justice is still being denied.
“It absolutely destroyed my whole life,” she told the BBC. “We’re just getting fobbed off. The evidence is all there.”
While more than £892 million has now been paid out across four compensation schemes, serious questions remain about how redress is calculated and delivered. Many victims, like Betty, continue to wait far too long and receive far too little.
This isn’t just about the money
The compensation figures currently being offered — and contested — fail to reflect the emotional devastation, reputational harm, and long-term life consequences inflicted on victims. Some lost homes, businesses, and relationships.
Others, tragically, did not live long enough to see their names cleared.
This scandal wasn’t simply an accounting error; it was a failure of institutional accountability, judicial fairness, and corporate ethics.
Victims should be compensated not only for the money stolen from them, but for the decades of pain they were forced to endure.
The stress, stigma, and psychological toll cannot be monetized neatly — but that doesn’t mean it should not be recognised.
Systemic reform is still lacking
The fact that victims are still fighting for justice more than a quarter of a century later raises alarming questions about how this could have happened — and whether it could happen again.
The Post Office is a curious hybrid: a commercial entity operating in a public utility role, often underpinned by taxpayer funds.
For years it operated above scrutiny, refusing to admit fault and deploying its legal might to suppress the truth.
The Horizon system was considered infallible, and victims were told that the fault lay with them — even as they insisted otherwise.
To ensure a scandal like this never happens again, we must demand:
- Stronger regulatory oversight for organisations straddling the public-private line
- Mandatory independent IT audits where software is used to calculate finances or determine liability
- Legal reform to prevent large institutions from evading accountability by exhausting victims through litigation
- Criminal investigation of those who perpetuated or covered up the scandal knowingly
Until these structural issues are addressed, the promise of “never again” rings hollow.
A symbol of stubborn resilience
Betty Brown’s story is more than just a personal tragedy — it is a mirror held up to a nation grappling with the consequences of misplaced trust in flawed systems.
Her quiet resilience, now made visible to the public, underscores the urgent need for more than just compensation. It demands justice, transparency, and lasting reform.
Her case must not become another headline that fades away — but a turning point in the fight for real accountability.
If you believe that victims like Betty deserve full and fair redress, not just partial payments and hollow apologies, then speak up:
- Write to your MP and demand faster, fuller compensation and legal reform to protect future victims.
- Support campaigns like those led by Alan Bates and other advocates still fighting for justice.
- Share stories like Betty’s to keep the pressure on government and the Post Office — silence enables delay.
- Call for criminal accountability for those who knowingly allowed this injustice to continue.
Justice delayed is justice denied — and 26 years is long enough.
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Betty Brown’s fight is another Horizon scandal betrayal
Betty Brown’s fight is another Horizon scandal betrayal, and it is bitter to see that the Labour government is just as bad as the Tories on this.
The Post Office Horizon scandal — widely regarded as one of the UK’s greatest miscarriages of justice — continues to cast a long and bitter shadow over the lives it upended.
At the centre of the latest development is Betty Brown, 92 – the oldest surviving victim of the scandal, who has rejected an increased compensation offer from the government, calling it “still not good enough.”
Betty was forced out of her County Durham post office in 2003 after she and her late husband poured more than £50,000 of their savings into covering shortfalls that, as we now know, never actually existed.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The Horizon IT system, implemented by Fujitsu and used by the Post Office, wrongly flagged discrepancies that led to more than 900 sub-postmasters being falsely accused of theft and fraud — some of whom were prosecuted, jailed, and financially ruined.
After decades of campaigning and suffering in silence, Betty, who was part of the original group legal action led by Alan Bates, had been offered just 29 per cent of her claim. That figure has now risen to 60 per cent, but Betty has rightly rejected it, saying justice is still being denied.
While more than £892 million has now been paid out across four compensation schemes, serious questions remain about how redress is calculated and delivered. Many victims, like Betty, continue to wait far too long and receive far too little.
This isn’t just about the money
The compensation figures currently being offered — and contested — fail to reflect the emotional devastation, reputational harm, and long-term life consequences inflicted on victims. Some lost homes, businesses, and relationships.
Others, tragically, did not live long enough to see their names cleared.
This scandal wasn’t simply an accounting error; it was a failure of institutional accountability, judicial fairness, and corporate ethics.
Victims should be compensated not only for the money stolen from them, but for the decades of pain they were forced to endure.
The stress, stigma, and psychological toll cannot be monetized neatly — but that doesn’t mean it should not be recognised.
Systemic reform is still lacking
The fact that victims are still fighting for justice more than a quarter of a century later raises alarming questions about how this could have happened — and whether it could happen again.
The Post Office is a curious hybrid: a commercial entity operating in a public utility role, often underpinned by taxpayer funds.
For years it operated above scrutiny, refusing to admit fault and deploying its legal might to suppress the truth.
The Horizon system was considered infallible, and victims were told that the fault lay with them — even as they insisted otherwise.
To ensure a scandal like this never happens again, we must demand:
Until these structural issues are addressed, the promise of “never again” rings hollow.
A symbol of stubborn resilience
Betty Brown’s story is more than just a personal tragedy — it is a mirror held up to a nation grappling with the consequences of misplaced trust in flawed systems.
Her quiet resilience, now made visible to the public, underscores the urgent need for more than just compensation. It demands justice, transparency, and lasting reform.
Her case must not become another headline that fades away — but a turning point in the fight for real accountability.
If you believe that victims like Betty deserve full and fair redress, not just partial payments and hollow apologies, then speak up:
Justice delayed is justice denied — and 26 years is long enough.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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