A campaigner who took on the UK Post Office joins Tracey Emin, Imelda Staunton on royal honors list

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A former post office branch manager who campaigned to expose a vast miscarriage of justice has been given a knighthood by King Charles III. Alan Bates is among more than 1,000 people, including artist Tracey Emin, actress Imelda Staunton and Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon, recognized on the King’s Birthday Honors list. It was released on Friday to mark the British monarch’s official birthday. Bates founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance after branch managers were wrongly accused of theft because of faulty software. He was played by Toby Jones in television drama “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office.” Emin and Staunton were both made dames, the female equivalent of a knight.