Ed Davey and Jo Swinson

During the ongoing inquiry into the Post Office scandal, former ministers Ed Davey and Jo Swinson were criticized for their handling of the situation, with Sir Alan Bates asserting they were 'controlled' by civil servants who contributed to a cover-up of the wrongful prosecutions of subpostmasters. Swinson expressed regret for not meeting with Bates, who had sought to discuss the flaws of the Horizon IT system, which was later revealed to have significant errors leading to financial discrepancies. She acknowledged feeling misled by civil servants and expressed frustration over their 'duplicitous' behavior. Bates highlighted that current delays in compensation for victims are a continuation of the same issues that plagued the inquiry. The inquiry continues to examine the correspondence and actions of civil servants during this tumultuous period. Both former ministers emphasized their lack of awareness regarding the extent of the issues at the Post Office while in office.