tonight, we speak live to the real alan bates, the man who dedicated years to bringing the post office scandal to light, and to the woman whose dramatisation for the small screen got a very big reaction. and to gwyneth hughes, the woman whose dramatisation for the small screen has had a very big reaction. wrongful convictions, more than 700 of them prison sentences, reputations trashed, bankruptcy, and now new cases. the post office scandal is only deepening. as we go on air, the petition to strip the former post office boss paula vennells of her cbe is well over a million and the prime minister has said he would support a review of it. it doesn t help the hundreds upon hundreds whose lives were all but destroyed and, in some cases, actually destroyed who will pay their compensation and when? we speak to the subpostmaster at the heart of itv s drama and the writer who s reignited an issue that had slipped from the public consciousness. and we ll be joined by the former
the commons? ida. drama to bring this outpouring in the commons? drama to bring this outpouring in the commons? ., , , the commons? no, this is the thing, what ou the commons? no, this is the thing, what you tend the commons? no, this is the thing, what you tend to the commons? no, this is the thing, what you tend to find the commons? no, this is the thing, what you tend to find with the commons? no, this is the thing, what you tend to find with the i what you tend to find with the commons these days is a lot of people, it is two and a half hours of statement to date with a lot of people repeating themselves because they want to see that they are part of the solution. but i answered a number of urgent questions, a number of written questions, westminster hall debate, people like kevin jones, other mps that have been out there standing up, lucy allan for example, standing up for their constituents. example, standing up for their constituents. ~ ., ., ., constituents. would we
did you become angry? each gwyneth, what did it make you think? did you become angry? gwyneth, what did it make you think? did you become angry? each week that assed i did you become angry? each week that assedi not did you become angry? each week that passed i got angrier did you become angry? each week that passed i got angrier and angrier! - passed i got angrier and angrier! and they were all completely isolated, told by the post office that each of them was told you are the only one and that is just heartbreaking. it s bad enough to feel alone but to be told by this faceless corporation of complete, well, villains, that you are all alone in the world and you are the only one this is happening to come and for that to be a lie. actually believable that could happen in my country, is how i felt about it, i could believe what i was finding out about what was happening here in britain. brute about what was happening here in britain. ~ , about what was happening here in britain. ~ .,
convictions, which is fine, and that s important to sort and resolve, but they seem to be steering away from the truth, well, the original group that brought the action and who are so far left outside. ., ., , outside. you were really the earliest campaigner - outside. you were really the earliest campaigner and - outside. you were really the earliest campaigner and it s| outside. you were really the - earliest campaigner and it s clear, your name is in the title, but i wonder, in all this story and the research, the campaigning, the drama, what about your own trauma for over 20 years, alan bates? it s clear that this is absolutely dominated your life.- clear that this is absolutely dominated your life. clear that this is absolutely dominated our life. . , , dominated your life. yeah, it s been the best and dominated your life. yeah, it s been the best and worst dominated your life. yeah, it s been the best and worst paid dominated your life. yeah, it s been the best and worst p
prison sentences, reputations trashed, bankruptcy, and now new cases. the post office scandal is only deepening. as we go on air, the petition to strip the former post office boss paula vennells of her cbe is well over a million and the prime minister has said he would support a review of it. it doesn t help the hundreds upon hundreds whose lives were all but destroyed and, in some cases, actually destroyed who will pay their compensation and when? we speak to the subpostmaster at the heart of itv s drama and the writer who s reignited an issue that had slipped from the public consciousness. and we ll be joined by the former government minister paul scully, who was behind the strengthening of the post office horizen it inquiry, giving it statutory powers, after first opposing it. also tonight, a special report for newsnight from the bbc team that s uncovered the widespread abuse, torture and rape by the founder of one of the world s biggest