The Horizon Post Office scandal and Lionel Rishi

11-01-2024 • 51 mins

Why did it take a TV drama to wake politicians up to what’s been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British legal history? More than 700 sub-postmasters were convicted of theft, due to accounting discrepancies caused by the Post Office’s faulty computer system. ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office caused public outrage and has forced the Government into taking unprecedented action. James Harding, former BBC director of News and Current Affairs, joins Nish and Coco to discuss what lessons journalism can learn from the saga.

With the UK, like much of Western Europe, recording historically low birthrates, Nish and Coco wonder why it only seems to be politicians on the right who ever engage with it as an issue. Is it a simple matter of economics, or maybe it’s just 14 years of Conservative Government that’s killed the mood!

Plus Keir Starmer’s glitter-bomber makes a surprise appearance, we find out Coco’s unusual choice of pool nickname, and why the PM is ‘dancing on the ceiling’.

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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Guest:

James Harding, co-founder and editor at Tortoise Media

Audio credits:

parliamentlive.tv

ITV Studio / Little Gem