Sacked Post Office boss Henry Staunton used sexist and racial slurs against women, report finds

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The sacked chairman of the Post Office used racial and sexist slurs against women, a report has found.

Henry Staunton was relieved of his £150,000-a-year role in January by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch after concerns were raised about his behaviour.

He claims he is the victim of a 'smear campaign' and began a public war of words with the minister.

But an independent report, seen by the Daily Mail, reveals that during a meeting to discuss job candidates Mr Staunton asked: 'She doesn't look coloured, where does she come from?'

The remark, made in January 2023, related to a potential candidate — referred to as 'Ms A' — for the vacant role of non-executive director.

The sacked chairman of the Post Office used racial and sexist slurs against women, a report has found

A government source last night said: 'Reading the barrister's report, it suddenly makes sense why Henry Staunton reacted so badly to being fired by a black, female Business Secretary.'

Mr Staunton, now 75, was also criticised in the review for calling younger female candidates 'girls' and older women 'ladies', seen by some as 'infantilising or patronising', as well as questioning whether a candidate would be a 'pain in the arse'.

When asked about this latter comment, Mr Staunton said that a CEO he'd worked with at a different firm did not want to employ women because they were 'pains in the arse' and that he was referring to that exchange.

The report by Marianne Tutin, a barrister at Devereux Chambers, concluded: 'Mr Staunton's remarks were discriminatory on grounds of race and sex, and therefore not in accordance with the Dignity at Work Policy.'

Ms Tutin's report added: 'As to the remarks relating to the origin of Ms A, use of the word 'coloured' is offensive and outdated.

'Questions regarding an individual's origins, particularly during a recruitment process, are inappropriate. I consider it unlikely Mr Staunton would have questioned the origin of a candidate with a British sounding name.'

It further stated: 'As to the remarks made questioning whether a female candidate would be a 'pain in the arse', I do not consider Mr Staunton would have posed such a question in respect of a male candidate.'

Jane Davies, the Post Office's former head of HR, had made allegations about potential wrongdoing, bullying and sexist behaviour by senior Post Office staff, sparking Ms Tutin's report.

The review also raised concerns about Mr Staunton's attitude towards whistleblowing investigations, which it said he described as a 'cancer'.

Mr Staunton, who took up his post in December 2022, sparked a furious row in February after using an interview with the Sunday Times to claim that he was told by a senior civil servant to slow down the payment of compensation for sub-postmasters wronged in the Horizon IT scandal.

He said he was told this to allow the Tories to 'limp into' the next election with less financial pressure on the Treasury.

Mr Staunton last night insisted that his remarks 'were never the subject of a complaint and were taken completely out of context'.