Hadleigh sub-postmaster on scandal which bigger than Horizon

Jerry Brown, who runs First Class Greetings and Hadleigh Post Office, believes the ongoing issues involving the Network Transformation programme (NT) could be bigger than the Horizon scandal.

It comes after Calum Greenhow, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, wrote to Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP, to request "an immediate and urgent review of ongoing injustices and concerns relating to the treatment of Postmasters".

"This is potentially just as big, if not bigger, than the Horizon scandal," said Mr Brown. 

"They took our income and turned it into Post Office Limited profit. We are the business."

Jeremy Brown believes the Network Transformation programme could be a bigger scandal than Horizon (Image: Newsquest) In 2012, the Network Transform Scheme was set up by the Government and Post Office as part of a bid to restructure the network.

Under the new initiative, sub-postmasters were paid per transaction rather than a fixed salary as part of terms in their new contract.

Mr Brown says at the time of the change, sub-postmasters were promised they would become the "front office of government", with services such as payment of speeding fines to be delivered in Post Offices. 

However, this was not delivered, with most services moved online.

Mr Brown added: "Most Post Offices are owned and run by small businesses who need to make a profit. So why do we have to subsidise the Post Office within our business?

"From an income point of view, I believe I, if not all postmasters, are subsidising their Post Office from their retail business."

"I can't continue. Network Transformation and the philosophy is the cause of our current problems."

He continued: "Most Postmasters receive no fixed income. Any fixed income was removed under NT.

"We need an immediate return to a significant element of fixed income, or the network will collapse."

Mr Brown added that Post Offices are a "social enterprise" that do "vast amounts of unpaid work assisting the local community" which is not recognised by the Post Office.

Mr Greenhow said: “Postmasters have invested in this network so are de facto business partners of Government. However, decisions made over the last decade have been to detriment of that investment with Postmasters businesses being devalued and their ability to serve their communities diminished as well.

"Added to this, Postmasters tell us they felt pressured, forced and some have used the word “bullied” into converting their office under Network Transformation and this has financial instability.

"It is time for Postmasters investment to be fully recognised by Government and for a full review into the actions of Post Office and whether the same culture that led to the Horizon scandal was present via the Network Transformation programme."