Paula Vennells, the former CEO of the Post Office, has lost her Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) title. The decision was made by King Charles III following accusations that Vennells had "brought the honours system into disrepute."
Vennells received the CBE in 2019. However, she faced widespread criticism after the Post Office scandal. During her tenure, the organization denied problems with its Horizon IT system despite evidence to the contrary. In January 2023, Vennells announced her intention to give up the honor.
The Cabinet Office website announced the revocation of Vennells' CBE. The announcement also included the removal of the MBE from grime artist Wiley (Richard Cowie), also for "bringing the honours system into disrepute." Wiley had previously returned his honor following antisemitic comments on social media.
Vennells' role in the Post Office scandal became more prominent after the ITV drama "Mr. Bates Vs The Post Office." The show highlighted the challenges faced by over 700 sub-postmasters who faced allegations of theft and false accounting due to the Horizon system.
Despite campaigning and evidence of miscarriages of justice, only some convictions have been overturned. The UK government is working to rectify the wrongful convictions. A public inquiry was launched in 2022 to investigate the scandal, which has been described as "the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history."