Post Office hero Alan Bates – who has led a 20-year campaign to expose the Horizon computer system scandal – is to receive a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours after previously rejecting an OBE
Post hero Alan Bates has argued that his well-deserved knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours List is “another weapon in the armoury” and vowed to continue his fight for justice.
The 70-year-old former undersecretary of post has finally been recognised for his 20-year stint exposing the Horizon computer scandal. His tireless work forced the government to overturn the convictions of hundreds of innocent workers accused of stealing from the post office.
Bates initially refused to accept the Order of the British Empire, but his former boss, Paula Vennells, holds the Order of the British Empire, which was awarded to her in 2019. He argued that accepting the award would be a “slap in the face” for victims who face financial ruin and imprisonment.
But Bates accepted the highest honour after Vennells declined the award after coming under huge public pressure. He said he was “delighted” to accept the award on behalf of all the victims of the Post scandal but wanted to secure compensation for them as soon as possible.
In an exclusive interview he told the UAE Breaking News: “This has all been going on for far too long but if this award is another in my weaponry to move things forward then so be it.
“This has been a big thing for people since the verdict. People need to forget about all this and get on with their lives. If things don’t pick up steam and people actually become covered by these agreements then we will need to look at other options in the autumn. I will not allow these things (knighthood) to become a distraction.”
Mr Bates joins a galaxy of sports stars, celebrities, politicians and everyday heroes from across the country who have been named in the King’s Birthday Honours List. A total of 1,077 people were included on the list of people described as “changemakers and innovators” who have “had an immeasurable impact on people’s lives across the country.”
Mr Bates’ tireless efforts have been the subject of ITV’s drama Mr Bates v the Post Office. It revealed that in the early 2000s, more than 900 British post office managers were charged with theft over faulty computer systems. Jones called Bates a “hero”.
But Bates said: “But ultimately, there’s more that’s come from it and there will be more in the future.
“I’m very pleased to receive this award, not just in recognition of what I’ve done, but of the suffering that so many people have gone through, the hell they’ve been through, the seriousness of the problem and the public awareness.
The drama exposed this to the nation and it was absolutely excellent in getting over the suffering that had been inflicted on so many by such a huge state controlled organisation.
“But this story hasn’t really been covered in depth and now more stories are coming to light and I think there’s more to come.”
Speaking about his decision to accept the knighthood, despite declining an OBE last year, he said: “If I had accepted something then, I think it would be natural that people would be upset and upset, but now I get a lot of messages from people who think I should be recognised, and I think people would be upset if I refused to do it again.
“So many people want some form of recognition, not just for me but for the whole group.”
Earlier this year, more than 130,000 people signed a recognised. Now he has finally been added to King Charles’ second birthday honours list. Asked how other victims of the post office would react, Bates said: “I hope they’ll be happy because I’m not just accepting this award for myself, I’m accepting it on behalf of all of us and all of them.” .
Asked how his partner Suzanne had reacted, Mr Bates laughed and said: “I guess I should say she’s delighted for me.”
He joked: “I really know how to live well. Maybe when the rain stops I’ll go for a walk.”
Charles, 75, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, announced the honour roll as he was due to take part in Trooping the Colour in tomorrow’s official birthday parade.
The monarch will also attend the annual Garter Day service with the queen at Windsor Castle on Monday.
The Ladies and Knights of the Order of the Garter, the oldest order of knighthood, will join the procession. New members will join, including composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.