Nigel Farage has turned up the heat on Sir Keir Starmer as public anger grows over the Horizon scandal, insisting the Labour leader did have the power to stop Post Office prosecutions in their tracks.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is holding crunch talks with judges on Tuesday on expediting clearing the names of hundreds of subpostmasters who were wrongfully convicted over a 16-year period between 1999 and 2015.
The miscarriage of justice, stemming from faulty Horizon software used by the Post Office, has been brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.
More than 700 subpostmasters received criminal convictions for allegations such as theft and false accounting, with countless lives ruined as a result.
Mr Farage, the former Brexit Party leader, now a GB News presenter, yesterday pointed the finger at Sir Keir Starmer, who was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, suggesting the 61-year-old “had serious questions to answer”.
His post on X, formerly Twitter, prompted many to point out that the Post Office has the power to launch private prosecutions while suggesting Sir Keir was powerless to intervene.
However, in another message shared via social media today, Mr Farage said it was not that simple.
He explained: “I am literally giving you the real facts here.
“Read section 6.2 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 and you will see that Starmer had the power.
“He has gone awfully quiet.“
The paragraph of the legislation in question states: “The DPP has the power under section 6(2) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 to take over private prosecutions, but is not obliged to do so.
“That power may also be exercised by a Crown Prosecutor.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today said the discussions are under way as the Government considers ways to overturn the convictions, including possible legislation.
Ministers “intend to move very quickly” to resolve the issue, he said, after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.
Mr Stride told Times Radio: “Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is in discussions with senior people within the justice system, judges and so on, to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible.”
On Sky News, he said: “My understanding is that they are happening now.
“So this is something that is happening hour by hour. It’s not something that’s going to happen next week. It is happening right now and we intend to move very quickly.”
A solution could be announced by the end of the week, Mr Stride said.
Ministers were looking at changing the rules around private prosecutions by companies, Mr Stride said, amid calls including Sir Keir to strip prosecution powers from the Post Office.
Reports suggest that 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITV’s Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast.
The Post Office is wholly owned by the Government.
Express.co.uk has approached Sir Keir for comment via the Labour Party.
