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Nadhim Zahawi to play himself in upcoming ITV drama about the Post Office Scandal, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office




Some might say that Nadhim Zahawi has had enough drama in his life lately, but that is apparently not the case as it has been revealed he is to appear in a new ITV drama series.

News that the Stratford MP is to feature in a new drama about the Post Office scandal caused controversy when it was revealed this week

The four-part series, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, tells the story of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.

Hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system.

Between 2000 and 2014, 736 workers were prosecuted, some of whom were imprisoned for crimes they never committed, and their lives were irreparably ruined by the scandal.

Nadhim Zahawi MP. Photo: Iain Duck
Nadhim Zahawi MP. Photo: Iain Duck

Mr Zahawi will play himself in the dramatisation. The MP was part of a Select Committee who questioned key figures in the Post Office involved in the scandal.

A spokesman for ITV said: “In factual dramas it is common for real-life figures – journalists, TV personalities and other public figures – to play themselves in small roles as a way of adding further authenticity to the series.

“We have chosen to feature Nadhim Zahawi for this reason.”

But not everyone was in support of Mr Zahawi’s inclusion.

Responding to the news of Facebook, constituents slammed him for not “doing the job he was elected to do”. While another commented “bet he spends more time on set then his ever spent in Stratford”.

The ITV drama stars Toby Jones who plays Alan Bates, the leader of a campaign group who came together to seek justice.

Other well-known faces featuring in the series include Monica Dolan and Julie Hesmondhalgh.

It has been written by Tom Jones and Vanity Fair screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes, and is directed by James Strong (Broadchurch).



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