Ian Hislop tearing into Tories for the Post Office scandal called 'unmissable TV'

Ian Hislop absolutely ripped into the Tories over the Post Office scandal live on air and people are loving it.

The ongoing Post Office scandal, linked to a faulty IT system named Horizon, has hit the headlines in recent weeks thanks to an ITV drama showing how it wrecked the lives of hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses, some of whom went to prison for crimes they did not commit.

During a live TV debate on Robert Peston’s ITV political show, Hislop appeared to talk about the scandal, as his publication Private Eye was one of the earliest news outlets to cover the story after it first broke in 2009.

Hislop claimed “the government preferred to listen to corporate bodies than to ordinary people” and suggested they are only acting now because it is in the media and because it is an election year.

In another section of the show, there was a fraught back and forth between himself and the Tory MP Jake Berry, who also appeared on the programme.

Hislop asked Berry: “Why couldn’t you [take action] so long ago? The fact that it takes an ITV drama and suddenly, having been told their entire campaigning life, ‘This is very difficult. You’ll have to go in front of a judge. This is very, very expensive.’

“‘Oh, this morning it isn’t! Tomorrow (10 January) we’ll pass legislation and you’re all exonerated’. I mean it is absolutely fatuous for this government to say, ‘Hey, we’re really acting now’. Did nothing. Did nothing the whole time.”

Berry began to bicker back and forth with Hislop as the live show came to a chaotic end, leaving the host Peston to have to shout, “Show’s over”, as the pair continued to debate as the programme wrapped up.

On social media, viewers heaped praise on Hislop for holding the government to account and for his passion for the subject.

Someone wrote: “Never seen Ian Hislop so angered and no darn wonder … he’s been on this for years, drawing attention to such suffering. He has every right to be frustrated and furious.”

“If only. IF ONLY we had more rottweiler journalists like him, truly holding power to account, we wouldn't be in this effing mess as a country,” another argued.

Another said: “Private Eye has been pushing awareness about this scandal for years. It's no wonder Ian Hislop is angry. You could hear Hislop still going for him as Peston tried to end the program. I think Jake Berry may well need medical attention.”

Journalist Scott Bryan called the moment 'unmissable television.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on 10 January that new legislation will be passed that will clear 736 convicted subpostmasters and a new upfront payment of £75,000 will be made for some of those affected by the Horizon scandal.

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