In a move that has sparked outrage among campaigners, victims, and taxpayers alike, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has signed off on two contracts worth a staggering £280 million with Fujitsu, the Japanese IT giant at the heart of the Post Office Horizon scandal. These contracts, described as “bridging” arrangements to maintain datacentre operations and self-assessment system hosting while HMRC transitions away from Fujitsu’s infrastructure, represent a continued reliance on a company responsible for one of the UK’s most egregious miscarriages of justice. The decision to funnel hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to Fujitsu, despite its role in ruining countless lives, is nothing short of disgraceful and raises serious questions about accountability and government priorities.
The Post Office Scandal: A National Disgrace
The Post Office Horizon scandal, widely regarded as the biggest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, saw more than 900 sub-postmasters wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 due to faults in Fujitsu’s Horizon accounting software. The defective system falsely reported financial shortfalls, leading to convictions for theft and fraud, ruined livelihoods, imprisonment, and even suicides among innocent sub-postmasters. The human toll was catastrophic, with families torn apart and communities shattered, while Fujitsu and Post Office management evaded accountability for years.
Public outrage intensified following the 2024 ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which brought renewed attention to the scandal. Fujitsu, acknowledging its “corporate responsibility,” pledged to suspend bidding for new UK government contracts until the ongoing public inquiry into the scandal concluded. Yet, despite this promise, the company continues to secure lucrative deals, with HMRC’s latest £280 million contracts being a glaring example of business as usual.
HMRC’s £280m Deal: A Slap in the Face to Victims
HMRC’s decision to award Fujitsu two contracts—one for datacentre operations and project services, and another for hosting applications on a virtual platform—has been met with fierce criticism. Campaigners and former sub-postmasters, including one who was imprisoned while pregnant due to Horizon’s errors, have called the move “truly wrong” and “an insult to victims and the inquiry itself.” Kevin Hollinrake, the former postal affairs minister, condemned the government, stating, “The least Labour could do is secure the interim payment that we pushed for whilst in office before pressing on with these multi-hundred million contracts. Anything less would be another betrayal of postmasters and the British taxpayer.”
The contracts, signed off as HMRC plans to transition away from Fujitsu’s datacentres, are framed as a necessary stopgap. A government spokesperson emphasised that the deals are “contingency measures” to ensure continuity while HMRC migrates to a cloud-based system managed by a hyperscaler. However, the justification rings hollow when taxpayers are footing a £280 million bill for a company that has yet to contribute meaningfully to compensation for Horizon victims. The inquiry, expected to release its initial report soon, has already cost taxpayers dearly, and the entire financial burden of compensating victims—estimated at over £1 billion—has fallen on the public purse.
Fujitsu’s Unbroken Grip on Taxpayer Funds
Fujitsu’s deep entrenchment in government contracts is a troubling reality. Despite its role in the Horizon scandal, the company has raked in billions from the UK government over the years. In 2022 alone, Fujitsu secured £430 million in government contracts, and last year, HMRC paid the firm £310 million. Posts on X reflect public frustration, with users like
@premnsikka
noting that Fujitsu “makes millions from govt contracts” while facing no penalties for its role in the scandal. Another user, @paullewismoney
, highlighted a £500 million HMRC deal in 2022, calling it a reward for complicity in the Post Office cover-up.The government’s reliance on Fujitsu stems from the complexity and risk of replacing entrenched IT suppliers in major public sector systems. HMRC’s “bridging” contracts are a testament to this dependency, as the department admitted that only Fujitsu can fulfil these roles during the transition period. This raises a broader issue: why has the government allowed itself to become so reliant on a single provider, especially one with a track record of catastrophic failure?
A Failure of Accountability
The decision to extend Fujitsu’s contracts comes at a time when the public inquiry is still investigating the company’s role in the Horizon scandal. MPs and peers, including Lord Bellingham, have demanded clarity on Fujitsu’s continued involvement in public sector contracts, particularly as the company has not yet contributed to victim compensation. The police investigation, Operation Olympos, has identified seven suspects and over 45 persons of interest, including Fujitsu management, but no prosecutions have materialised. This lack of accountability fuels public distrust, as Fujitsu continues to profit handsomely while victims fight for redress.
The government’s response has been inconsistent at best. Initially, officials claimed the HMRC contracts were part of a broader effort to “quickly and securely remove” Fujitsu from government systems, only to retract that statement and clarify that the goal applies only to HMRC’s transition. This flip-flopping undermines confidence in the government’s commitment to holding Fujitsu accountable. Meanwhile, the Business Secretary’s March 2025 meeting with Fujitsu to discuss victim compensation has yet to yield tangible results, leaving taxpayers to shoulder the financial burden.
A Call for Justice and Reform
The HMRC-Fujitsu contracts are a stark reminder of the government’s failure to prioritise justice over corporate convenience. Awarding £280 million to a company responsible for devastating lives is not just a pragmatic necessity—it’s a moral failing. The government must act swiftly to:
- Suspend Fujitsu Contracts: Halt all non-essential contracts with Fujitsu until the inquiry concludes and the company contributes significantly to victim compensation.
- Accelerate Decoupling: Invest in expediting the transition away from Fujitsu’s systems to reduce long-term dependency.
- Ensure Accountability: Support the police investigation and push for prosecutions of those responsible at Fujitsu and the Post Office.
- Compensate Victims: Streamline the redress process, which MPs have criticised as “too slow,” to ensure sub-postmasters receive the payouts they deserve without delay.
Conclusion
HMRC’s £280 million contracts with Fujitsu are a disgraceful continuation of a system that rewards failure while taxpayers and Horizon victims pay the price. The Post Office scandal exposed Fujitsu’s role in a national tragedy, yet the company continues to suck at the teat of public funds with impunity. As the inquiry progresses and public anger grows, the government must stop treating Fujitsu as an indispensable partner and start treating it as a corporate culprit that must be held to account. The British taxpayer—and the sub-postmasters who suffered for decades—deserve nothing less.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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