The Conservative Lord and former MP is dramatised and plays a major role in the new ITV drama.
Toby Jones stars in new ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office as Alan Bates, the real-life figure who played a key role in exposing the Post Office scandal.
The scandal saw a faulty computer system, Horizon, lead to errors in financial reporting, leading to hundred of subpostmasters and mistresses being wrongly accused and convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting.
One of the other major figures in exposing the scandal was former MP, now Lord, James Arbuthnot, when he led the campaign in parliament on behalf of the subpostmasters and mistresses.
Read on for everything you need to know about James Arbuthnot, as depicted in Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Who is James Arbuthnot and what happened to him?
James Arbuthnot is a Lord who sits on the Conservative benches and was created Baron Arbuthnot of Edrom in 2015.
He was formerly an MP, first for Wanstead and Woodford between 1987 and 1997, and then for North East Hampshire between 1997 and 2015.
During his time as an MP he served as minister of state for defence procurement, opposition chief whip, shadow secretary of state for trade and, finally, chairman of the Defence Select Committee.
While still an MP, Arbuthnot got involved in the campaign for exposure and justice surrounding the Post Office scandal, in which hundred were wrongly accused and convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting, due to a faulty computer system.
This was after it was brought to his attention by his constituent, Jo Hamilton, who was charged. He went on to lead the cross-party parliamentary group of MPs who came together after their constituencies asked them for help.
In 2015, Arbuthnot called for a judge-led investigation into the Post Office’s handling of the issue, saying: “These are people who have been pillars of the community and have their reputations dragged through the mud. The way they have been treated is an utter disgrace.”
In December 2019, a High Court judge ruled that Horizon contained a number of “bugs, errors and defects” and there was a “material risk” that this caused shortfalls in accounts.
Arbuthnot said in a statement in response: “The subpostmasters have been vindicated in every respect. It is an excellent Christmas present, but won at great cost. The cost falls partly on the taxpayer but also heavily on the subpostmasters themselves, who will have their damages reduced by the amount the litigation funders will (justifiably) deduct.”
He then called for a further inquiry, which continues to this day.
Who plays James Arbuthnot in Mr Bates vs The Post Office?
James Arbuthnot is played in Mr Bates vs The Post Office by Alex Jennings, who has had a long and storied career on stage and screen.
Over the years, his film roles have included appearances in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, The Queen, Belle, The Lady in the Van, Denial, Operation Mincemeat and both Your Christmas or Mine and its sequel.
Meanwhile, on TV, he has been seen in Cranford, Whitechapel, Silk, Lucky Man, A Very English Scandal, Unforgotten, Victoria, Small Axe, This is Going to Hurt, The Undeclared War and The Crown.
While Jennings hasn’t yet spoken about his role in the series, Toby Jones, who plays Alan Bates, did speak with the real-life James Arbuthnot when he was appearing in the show.
Jones said: “I spoke on the phone to James Arbuthnot, [the former MP for North East Hampshire who played a pivotal role in helping the subpostmasters] about Alan. James was very clear that it has always been a privilege to talk to Alan Bates.
“He looked forward to Alan getting in touch with him on every occasion, because he knew he would learn something and no time would be wasted.
“For all of the appalling injustice and the terrible, ongoing struggle that ordinary people have been thrown into lasting a number of years, a crisis throws up opportunities for heroism. Alan Bates is a proper hero.”
Mr Bates vs The Post Office arrives on 1st January at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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