Horizon scandal | Gov mulled sacking ex-Post Office chief Paula Vennells in 2014 over poor 'people management' skills

Government officials considered sacking controversial ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells 10 years ago, amid concerns over her people management skills, an inquiry has heard.

Internal government documents presented at the Horizon inquiry revealed the worries raised about Vennells’ ability to lead, with one concern being that she was "unable to work with personalities that provide robust challenge to her".

Vennells resigned as the Post Office CEO in 2019, five years after the concerns were raised. She was recently stripped of her CBE – which had been awarded for “services to the Post Office and to charity” - as public anger reached boiling point over the Horizon IT scandal which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted of theft.

The document, compiled by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills in 2014, stated: “Advice from the recent Annual Review suggested that the POL (Post Office Ltd) team give careful consideration to the continued suitability of Paula Vennells as CEO.