In a stunning rebuke, former postal minister Kevin Hollinrake has accused outgoing Post Office chief executive Nick Read of being overpaid while failing to properly lead the organization through the aftermath of the Horizon IT scandal. Hollinrake, who helped push through legislation allowing hundreds of wrongfully convicted post office operators to overturn their convictions, described working with Read as “like drawing teeth.”
A Scathing Assessment
Testifying before the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, Hollinrake painted a damning picture of the Post Office under Read’s leadership:
I worked constructively with Nick Read [but] as time went on I formed the view that [he] was unable to lead the organisation as it needed to be led. I thought it right to give him a decent chance to see through reform of the Post Office’s culture. But my view was the guy was being paid lots whilst not doing a very good job.
Kevin Hollinrake, Former Postal Minister
Hollinrake characterized the Post Office under Read as an “inward looking, poorly led, dysfunctional organisation.” He also criticized former chair Henry Staunton, who was fired in January after twice requesting that Read’s already substantial pay be doubled.
Excessive Compensation Amid Crisis
Read, who joined the Post Office in 2019 pledging to “right the wrongs of the past,” has admitted his repeated attempts to boost his own pay look “very poor” considering many branch owner-operators are still awaiting compensation for Horizon IT failings. In 2022-23, Read’s total pay package amounted to £573,000 including bonuses. The previous year, his earnings soared to £816,000.
Hollinrake expressed frustration over Read’s refusal to act to reduce central costs like senior management headcount, which could have helped struggling post office operators. According to Hollinrake, obtaining basic information from Read, such as the fact that 143 Post Office employees earned over £100,000, was extremely difficult.
I was extremely frustrated by the Post Office’s inability to provide this basic information. A particular example of this is [Read’s] inability or unwillingness to reduce central costs. It was like drawing teeth.
Kevin Hollinrake, Former Postal Minister
Time for New Leadership
Hollinrake made clear his view that Read’s departure presents an opportunity to install a “truly exceptional leader” who understands the Post Office is a public service role. He stressed that quality leadership is essential to reforming the troubled institution.
The former minister also addressed the prospect of mutualisation, transferring ownership of the Post Office to its operators, as a potential path forward. While acknowledging challenges like the need for continued government subsidies, he suggested mutualisation “is an option that appeals to me.”
As the inquiry continues to unearth troubling details about the Post Office’s past and present dysfunction, the accusations against Read raise urgent questions: How deep does the rot go, and what will it take to finally set things right? With the chief executive on his way out and mutualisation on the table, the opportunity for meaningful reform may finally be at hand. But first, the full truth of the Post Office’s failures, and those who profited from them, must be brought to light.
