‘Stop giving government contracts to Post Office Horizon firm’

Martin Shipton

More than a quarter of Wales’ Senedd Members have signed a letter demanding a review into whether the firm at the heart of the Post Office Horizon scandal should be eligible to bid for public contracts.

Sixteen MSs have backed the call, including senior figures like Rhun ap Iorwerth and Delyth Jewell, Leader and Deputy Leader of Plaid Cymru, further Plaid and Welsh Conservative MSs and Independent MS Rhys ab Owen. No Labour MSs have signed the letter, however.

Together, they have called for a fundamental rethink of how the UK and devolved governments award major public contracts to companies implicated in systemic failures.

Public contracts

In the letter, the MSs express “deep concern that Fujitsu continues to be awarded major public contracts despite its central role in the Post Office Horizon scandal”. They note that while the High Court ruled in 2019 that Fujitsu’s Horizon IT system caused accounting errors leading to the wrongful conviction of more than 1,000 sub-postmasters, the company continues to profit from the public purse, holding over £3.4bn in live UK contracts.

In Wales alone, Fujitsu had been awarded over £2m worth of public contracts as of January 2024. Across the UK, it continues to secure major deals, including a £125m contract in Northern Ireland and an ongoing £370m HMRC re-tender for the Trader Support Service.

The MSs highlight the stark imbalance between Fujitsu’s extensive spending on crisis PR, with inside sources noting that £27m was spent on an initiative to protect the tech giant’s reputation, and its lack of direct compensation to victims, despite public statements acknowledging a “moral obligation” to contribute to redress. To date, UK taxpayers have paid around £1bn to victims and their families, with Fujitsu itself contributing nothing directly.

The letter calls on the UK Government to:

* Institute an immediate review of Fujitsu’s eligibility to bid for critical public services, in light of its conduct and the reputational risk it poses.

* Require any government supplier involved in systemic failures to demonstrate meaningful remediation and cooperation with compensation processes as a condition of continued engagement.

The MSs warn that continuing to award public contracts to Fujitsu “undermines public confidence not just in Westminster, but across the entirety of our nation,” and argue that the Horizon injustice “must not be compounded by the continued awarding of lucrative government contracts to Fujitsu.”

‘Apologised’

A Fujitsu spokesperson said: “We have apologised for, and deeply regret, our role in sub-postmasters’ suffering. We continue to work with the UK Government to ensure we adhere to the voluntary restrictions we put in place regarding bidding for new contracts while the Post Office Inquiry is ongoing.”

However Fujitsu has not apologised for its role in supplying equipment to the Israel Defence Forces and the ICE deportation agency in the United States,

In August 2025 the niche news website IT Daily reported: “Fujitsu announces the expansion of its partnership with Palantir, despite the company being under fire for its collaboration with the Israeli military and its role in deportations in the US.

“The agreement concerns the use of the Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform (Palantir AIP).

“Palantir is not without controversy. Francesca Albanese, UN Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically names Palantir when referring to global companies profiting from the genocide in Gaza. Albanese has seen overwhelming evidence of genocide since 2024 and refers to Palantir as a close partner of the Israeli military (IDF). The company provides technology to support war missions, including selecting targets in Gaza.

“Amnesty International points to Palantir’s role and the company’s AI tools in the Trump administration’s immigration policy. Palantir works with the immigration service ICE to provide data important for the efficient deportation of immigrants. Amnesty emphasizes that the right to a fair trial is being violated in this process. Also in the US, Palantir allegedly plays a role in identifying and deporting protesters who raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.

“Fujitsu is not the only company that doesn’t shy away from collaborating with Palantir. IBM has previously worked with the company. Other companies, such as the large Norwegian investment fund Storebrand Asset Management, have already withdrawn from Palantir. The fund specifically cited the sale of products and services used in territories occupied by Israel. Investments in Palantir could violate international human rights.

“The well-substantiated accusations do not prevent Fujitsu from strengthening its collaboration with Palantir.”

Fujitsu did not comment to IT Daily about its connection with the IDF. Nor did it respond to a request for comment on the same issue from Nation.Cymru.