Betty Brown, the oldest living victim of the Post Office scandal, has been awarded an OBE. List of awards for the New Year 2026.
For services to justice, King Charles III awarded her the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Brown, 92, had run Annfield Plain Post Office in County Durham with her late husband Oswall since 1985. But in 2003 the couple were forced to quit after spending more than £50,000 of their savings to cover the non-existent deficit.
Brown told BBC Breakfast she accepted the recognition in the New Year's Honors List on behalf of all victims of the scandal.
“Every one of them should have an OBE,” she said. “Each of them, for what they [Post Office] helped us get through what we stood firm and loyal through. I did this for the sake of justice.
“You shouldn't get a medal for what robbed by your own government“, she added.
IN last year's listJoe Hamilton, who was wrongly convicted of false reporting in 2006, was awarded an OBE for services to justice along with former campaign colleagues Lee Castleton, Seema Misra and Christopher Head.
Rebecca Thomson, former Computer Weekly reporter whose investigation led to The May 2009 story that first exposed the scandal.was also awarded the Order of the British Empire at that time.
In this year's list, the third in the history of Charles III's reign, 1,157 people received awards. A cabinet statement said the overall theme this year was communitarian.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This year’s awards list celebrates the very best of Britain – people who put the common good before themselves, strengthening communities and changing lives.
“Their quiet devotion speaks of a decent, compassionate country of which we are proud. On behalf of the entire nation, thank you – and congratulations to everyone recognized today.”
Members of the UK technology community who received awards included Daljit Singh RehalChief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath, one step below a knighthood, for services to technology and public service. The former Centrica CIO was appointed HMRC Chief Information Officer in 2020 and was ranked second on Computer Weekly UKtech50 list in 2025, behind only the legendary Demis Hassabis, founder and CEO of Google DeepMind.
Pamela Maynard, director of artificial intelligence transformation at Microsoft, received the Order of the British Empire for services to business and technology. She also presented on Computer Weekly's annual list of the UK's most influential women in technology.
And Karen Louise Blake, most recently CEO of Tech Talent Charter, received an MBE for services to technology and diversity. She appears in Women in the technical working grouplaunched by UK government technology minister Liz Kendall in December 2025.
Other recognized members of the UK technology community include the following.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Matthew John Brittin, former President of Google EMEA, for services to technology and digital skills.
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Philip Stephen McBride, formerly Managing Director, Thales Northern Ireland, for services to the defense industry.
Matthew Agar, Strategy Director, Building Digital UK, for digital infrastructure and broadband services.
Shah Ruhul Amin, co-founder and chief architect of Onfido, for services in the field of financial technology and artificial intelligence.
Simon Grunwell, Deputy Director Covert Operations Digital Exploitation, for services to the public service.
Deborah Kellsey Millar, Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College, for services to further education.
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Matthew Peter John Baker, Cambridge Research Scientist, for services to technology and wireless communications.
Sarah Ellis, Director of Creative Innovation at the Royal Shakespeare Company, for services to technology in the arts.
Eric Alain Dilworth, Made Smarter Adoption Program Manager at The Growth Company, for services in business development and digitalization.
British Empire Medal (BEM)
Professor Simon Pearson, Founding Director of the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology, University of Lincoln, for services to agricultural innovation and education.
Dr Thomas Anthony Goodman, Software Engineer and Event Planner from Birmingham, for technology services to the West Midlands.
Significantly adjacent to the technology sector, Andrew John ScottProfessor of Economics at London Business School and Senior Director of Economics at the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford, becomes a Companion of the Order of the Bath for services to economics.
And from the wider business world, Michelle Ferguson, director of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland, is being awarded an OBE for services to the economy. Akin Onal, founder and CEO of Mori, was also awarded an OBE for services to enterprise.
Honors for police officers
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has announced that eight police officers will be honored, covering the UK's civilian technology community and the area of cyber security in UK law enforcement.
Among them:
Gavin Webb OBE, 51, Regional Head of Investigations, Multiple Threats and Borders. Webb led the UK's Operation Kronos, an international operation in which NKA specialist officers infiltrated and seized control of Lockbitown systems in 2024, which prevented the group from carrying out further attacks and subsequently tarnished its reputation in the underworld. In a widely publicized and innovative move, the NCA used LockBit's own dark website to notify users that it had been seized by law enforcement and publicly identify LockBit's leader. Russian national Dmitry Khoroshevwho was so confident in his anonymity that he offered a $10 million reward to anyone who could reveal his identity, was subsequently sanctioned by the UK, US and Australia.
Kay Taylor CBE, 50, Director of Legal Services. Taylor is recognized as “an exceptional leader who empowers and inspires officers to protect the public.” Among the high-profile investigations she has supported is Operation Venetic, Britain's response to international extermination EncroChatan encrypted platform used by thousands of criminals to commit and plan the most serious crimes, from the supply of drugs and firearms to murder.
Fiona Nicholson MBE, 61, former team leader at the National Economic Crime Centre. Nicholson is being honored as a “pioneer in improving policing” by increasing the number of criminal asset forfeitures and providing quick refunds to victims of fraud.
Five other current and former NCA officers, who cannot be named due to the nature of their work, also received MBEs for their services.
Graham Biggar, chief executive of the NCA, said: “These awards are well deserved by officers who have truly gone above and beyond to support victims and protect the public from the most serious and harmful crimes.
“These officers represent the very best of all the officers who work so hard at the National Crime Agency and I am immensely proud of all they have achieved.”
The Cabinet statement noted that the representation of ethnic minorities on the list for “highest awards” has doubled – from 7% to 14%.
