PRESS RELEASE

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN AN MP DOES WHAT THEY SAY THEY WILL!!!

The newly re-formed All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support has taken another decisive step today, showing what determined parliamentary action looks like for the millions who fell through the cracks during the pandemic.

A Tale of Two Injustices: Post Office vs Covid-19 Support Gaps

The contrast between the Post Office Horizon scandal and the Covid-19 financial exclusion crisis remains striking. Both involved severe harm, both involved preventable suffering, and both resulted in suicides. Yet the speed and scale of parliamentary engagement were dramatically different.

Comparison Table

Issue	Post Office Horizon	Gaps in Covid-19 Support
Number of people affected	Approximately 4,400	Approximately 3.8 MILLION
Time to form an APPG	Approximately 12 years from first Horizon problems in 1999 to meaningful APPG activity around 2011 to 2012	Approximately 12 weeks from the first lockdown in March 2020 to the formation of the original APPG in June 2020
Peak MP involvement	Typically 20 to 30 MPs engaged at any one time, with a core group of fewer than 10 driving the issue	262 MPs and peers at its peak, making it one of the largest APPGs ever formed
Suicides linked to the crisis	At least 4 confirmed suicides among sub-postmasters affected by Horizon	More than 40 suicides reported within ExcludedUK membership and hundreds of suicide attempts
APPG continuity	Long-running parliamentary pressure over many years	Original APPG closed in October 2022, re-formed in January 2025 as the APPG on Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support

A Campaign That Refused to Be Silenced

ExcludedUK’s work has been recognised at the highest levels. The organisation was invited to contribute to the Impact Film shown at the beginning of Module 9: Economic Response at the UK Covid Inquiry. This was a clear acknowledgement of the seriousness and scale of the issue.

Real Parliamentary Action, Not Just Words

Momentum has accelerated since the APPG’s relaunch in January 2025.

Manuela Porteghella MP, Liberal Democrat Member for Stratford-on-Avon and APPG Officer, secured a Backbench Business Debate in the House of Commons on 15 January 2026. The debate focused on those who suffered due to the lack of financial support during the pandemic.

Today, APPG Chair Steve Witherden MP, Labour Member for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, formally requested a meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP, to discuss next steps and the urgent need for meaningful engagement.

Members of ExcludedUK, many still living with the long-term consequences of being denied support, are watching closely. After years of being overlooked, they are eager for this meeting to be secured without delay.

A Turning Point

The re-energised APPG is demonstrating what committed parliamentary representation looks like. It is showing that when MPs follow through on their promises, progress becomes possible and long-ignored voices finally begin to be heard.

THE POST OFFICE SUBMASTERS HAVE BEEN UNEQUIVICALLY VINDICATED AND APOLOGISED TO.
THE EXCLUDED HAVE HAD NEITHER. THEY CONTINUE TO BE TREATED WITH SUSPICION AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE LOADED, AND MISLEADING LANGUAGE USED TO JUSTIFY THE INACTION OF THE TREASURY!

HOPEFULLY THIS MEETING WILL CHANGE ALL THAT! 

 

Media contact
Jennifer Griffiths: Email: admin@excludeduk.org
ExcludedUK

Website: www.excludeduk.org