Kingston & Surbiton MP Sir Ed Davey has come under intensifying scrutiny with calls to return his knighthood due to his role in the Post Office scandal. 

Independent Cllr Yvonne Tracey has started a petition demanding Sir Ed Davey to return his knighthood over "as a sign of accepting accountability for these gross injustices". 

At the time of writing, the Change.org petition has reached 12,435 signatures, with 7,976 people having signed just today (11 January).  

In a recent update, the SNP have also called Davey to "hand back" his knighthood. Political commentators have also cited Davey's history of calling 31 people in positions of importance to resign, and urged him to "taste his own medicine": an attitude which was reflected by Lee Anderson in the House of Commons yesterday. 

The news comes from the fallout from ITV's highly watched drama The Post Office scandal has shone a light on what is being dubbed as "one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history". 

Over 700 sub-postmasters were handed criminal convictions after faults in accounting system Horizon, indicated that money was missing from post office accounts.  

From 2010 to 2012 Davey served as the postal affairs minister in the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition government. In this capacity, he received numerous reports expressing concerns about the flawed Horizon software at the Post Office. Accusations also suggest that Davey dismissed the grievances of those affected.  

Former sub-postmaster Alan Bates, who inspired the recent ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, wrote a letter to Davey in May 2010 asking to meet him to discuss the campaign. 

Davey responded to his request statoing,: "I do not believe a meeting would serve any useful purpose." 

Still, Davey was the first minister on public record to meet with Bates, seven years and five Labour Ministers after Bates first reached out.

In December 2010, Bates cut off contact for eight months after Davey wrote him a letter saying the Post Office "continues to express full confidence in the integrity and robustness of the Horizon system".

While Davey was Minister there were five responses to written questions on this issue, which he also put to the Post Office to respond.

Alan Bates said last week (on Times Radio clip here) that even if Davey had done more, justice would not have been secured sooner because of the way the Post Office behaved.

Davey was minister before there was any external evidence gathered of faults in Horizon, as Second Sight's independent investigation found in 2013.

He was then made Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 to 2015, which saw him knighted in the 2016 New Years Honours List for 'political and public service'.   

Davey was hired by City firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in 2015, two years before 500 postmasters launched group litigation against their employer. 

In 2019, the company became the Post Office's adviser in its defence against the legal action and continued to support the organisation until 2023. Working for the firm until January 2022, Davey earned around £275,000. 

He was hired as a consultant on political issues and political analysis; Davey was reportedly contracted to advise on renewable energy and UN climate change discussions. 

Speaking on a Channel4 interview on 8 January 2024, Alan Bates said: "I think most of the ministers have been given a real bum-steer by their officials and by Post Office. I think Post office has been briefing against our campaign for many years across all the political parties.  

"I think just holding him [Ed Davey] responsible is a little bit much." 

Davey also spoke to Times Radio where he said he was "deeply misled by Post Office executives". 

Though some have had their convictions quashed, many are either still awaiting appeal or have died waiting for justice. 

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "Ed has said that he wishes he knew then what we all know now - that the Post Office was lying to victims, him and other ministers on an industrial scale.

"This was a conspiracy on a grand scale perpetrated against hundreds of postmasters, and ministers across the political spectrum for two decades.

"His focus now is on getting justice and compensation as quickly as possible to all those affected." Bates said last week on Times Radio that even if Ed had done more, justice would not have been secured sooner because of the way the Post Office behaved."

Bates said last week on Times Radio that even if Ed had done more, justice would not have been secured sooner because of the way the Post Office behaved.