Vodafone sets date to meet MPs over franchisee scandal

Executives astatine Vodafone volition adjacent period conscionable parliamentarians amid increasing scrutiny of its attraction of dozens of its retail franchisees, which a salient MP said possessed “uncomfortable echoes of the Post Office [Horizon IT] scandal”.

Sky News understands that elder executives from the FTSE-100 telecoms elephantine volition clasp talks with MPs including the Reform lawman person Richard Tice connected January 21 to sermon the escalating row.

The meeting, which MPs had been pursuing for respective weeks, volition travel weeks aft ministers indicated they were prepared to reappraisal the ineligible operation of franchise agreements successful Britain.

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A radical of 62 Vodafone retail franchisees brought a High Court assertion past year, alleging that the institution had "unjustly enriched" itself by cutting income commissions paid to the tiny concern owners who ran its stores successful 2020.

The Guardian reported this week that a fig of those affected had committed termination oregon attempted to instrumentality their ain lives

In September, Vodafone began proposing fiscal settlements to immoderate of the radical of erstwhile franchisees.

Mr Tice, whose engagement connected the contented was triggered by the plight of 1 of his constituents, said successful a connection connected Thursday: "Vodafone's behaviour successful this lawsuit has uncomfortable echoes of the Post Office scandal, wherever a almighty organisation is avoiding accountability portion mean radical moving our precocious streets are near to suffer.

"That is wholly unacceptable.

"Vodafone indispensable halt stonewalling, judge that superior failures successful its franchising cognition person caused existent harm, and prosecute decently with Parliament to found what went incorrect and however this volition beryllium enactment right.

"I invited the information that a gathering is yet taking place, but it should not person taken this long.

He added: "This indispensable present beryllium a superior and transparent discussion.

"MPs request urgent answers astir Vodafone's behaviour and meaningful engagement successful effect to the profoundly troubling stories that proceed to emerge."

In a statement, Vodafone said: "We person tried connected aggregate occasions to resoluteness this analyzable commercialized dispute.

"We offered to marque a important outgo which we believed would guarantee nary claimants had debts associated with their franchise.

"We were disappointed to larn that our fiscal connection was rejected by the institution backing the claim, without having shared it with each claimants.

"We stay unfastened to further talks and are atrocious if immoderate franchisee had trouble successful operating their business.

"We proceed to tally a palmy franchise concern successful the UK, with galore existent franchisees keen to instrumentality connected much stores."