Campaigner Sir Alan Bates criticises the government’s compensation schemes for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, saying they are an “utter disaster” and arguing that the state should not run the redress process. Bates, who led a long campaign for justice for post office operators who were wrongly accused and convicted over alleged theft and false accounting connected to Horizon, says the current approach is moving too slowly and reflects ongoing problems in how claims are handled. In separate remarks reported by outlets, Bates also renews criticism of what he describes as the structure of the compensation system, previously comparing it to a “quasi-kangaroo court” arrangement. His position focuses on governance and control, calling for the schemes to be removed from direct government oversight. The criticism is directed at the design and administration of compensation rather than the underlying scandal itself. Both reports reflect Bates’s view that victims’ access to redress and the functioning of the process have not met expectations, and that the government’s role should be reduced or eliminated.