The former chairman of the Post Office who has become engulfed in a war of words with the government is also chair of governors at Ipswich School.

Experienced business leader Henry Staunton has found himself in a huge row with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch after she sacked him from his role at the Post Office last month.

Mr Staunton was a pupil at Ipswich School in the 1960s before going on to the University of Exeter.

He had a highly-successful business career including a period as finance director for Granada and then ITV plc, as well as becoming chairman of the retailer WH Smith.

In 2016 he was elected chair of governors at Ipswich School and in December 2022 he was asked to become chairman of the Post Office, which was struggling to overcome the sub-postmasters' Horizon IT scandal.

His tenure at the Post Office ended abruptly at the end of January this year when he was sacked by Mrs Badenoch - he claimed that the first he knew about this was when he was contacted by Sky News.

Over the weekend he claimed that he had been told to stall compensation pay-outs for postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal due to concerns about the cost heading into a general election.

Mrs Badenoch hit back on Monday by telling MPs he had spread “made-up anecdotes” following his dismissal.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the Business Secretary said there was “no evidence whatsoever” of his account and branded it “a blatant attempt to seek revenge” for his sacking.

She also claimed he was being investigated over bullying allegations before he was fired as chairman, and that concerns were raised about his “willingness to co-operate” with the probe.

A spokesperson for Mr Staunton later said Mrs Badenoch had made an “astonishing series of claims” about the saga.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses are still awaiting compensation despite the government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 pay-outs.

When we contacted Ipswich School about Mr Staunton, it would only say: "The events to which you refer are outside of his role with Ipswich School."