Mr Bates vs the Post Office

Has anyone asked why the government approved Paula Vennell’s CBE nomination in 2018. The current government have been aware of this scandal for years and it’s a disgrace that they’re trying to make political capital out of fast tracking its resolution now. No government from the last 25 years gets off scot free but the current government have absolutely no excuse for not addressing it at least 10 years ago.
Ian Hislop did but didn't get very far. I must say, having not watched Peston on ITV before that I was amazed that he found that exchange so funny. Does he not appreciate that people lost their livelihood, their homes and even their lives. It is not a comedy show.
 
What would you suggest? Everyone should watch News at 10? Everyone should put an hour aside to watch Question Time every Thursday? Everyone should subscribe to Private Eye? And then when people see a report on a scandal, keep following the story so that they are abreast of what's going on? And then what about tomorrow when there's another scandal? Next week when there's another?

The truth is that as you've said, your friend was affected by this so it's more personal to you. This is why you didn't need the ITV drama to refresh your memory.

What are your thoughts on the council tax controversy that affected the people of East Anglia back in 2012? Please tell me you kept abreast of what went on... it really affected the working class.

Start with being docked money at source for not voting? Joking aside your point is valid, people have become petty cowards
 
Ian Hislop did but didn't get very far. I must say, having not watched Peston on ITV before that I was amazed that he found that exchange so funny. Does he not appreciate that people lost their livelihood, their homes and even their lives. It is not a comedy show.

No because he's a merchant banker
 
So that Scouse bell-end signed a statement, claims he didn’t write it but the lawyers did.

Why did he sign it then?

I would not put my name to anything I hadn’t read thoroughly and agreed with.

His responses almost equate to "I was following orders"!
 
Has anyone asked why the government approved Paula Vennell’s CBE nomination in 2018. The current government have been aware of this scandal for years and it’s a disgrace that they’re trying to make political capital out of fast tracking its resolution now. No government from the last 25 years gets off scot free but the current government have absolutely no excuse for not addressing it at least 10 years ago.
Who nominated her? That’s the question that people need to know.
 
It'll all be blamed on processes, systems, working procedures... And no one will go to jail, no one will be punished (Beyind the uncomfortable spotlight on them now). And because of that, this sort of shit that affects peoples life, will happen again, and again and again, as it already has been for decades. It really annoys me that these twats get away with it just because growth and profit are the most important thing.

They need to start really punishing these people, that way,, only that way will they understand the impact of their actions and behaviours and things will improve.

But this guy... I have worked with that type time aand again, no skills, no knowledge, just promoted up the food chain based upon time served... That really happens in the RM. Crazy.
Your last paragraph really does sum this scandal up in less than 35 words. Management completely out of their depth. My only interaction with management at the PO came over 40 years ago. I applied for a subpostmasters opening in a small shop in Greater Manchester. The present sub was retiring and it was a good office so there were 3 applicants. I didn't get it but what astounded me was the person who interviewed me in Spring Gardens,I seem to remember. He was not interested in his job and seemed to be doing the interview in a couldn't care less manner. It was the most unprofessional interview I had ever had and I wondered how this man had risen so far in the organisation, which was in a way, the very backbone of British standards. As a personal view, and knowing many many subpostmasters over the years, I never believed for one minute that over 500 subpostmasters were on the fiddle. They were just not that sort of person. Good luck getting those who hounded them feel the full force of retribution.
 
So that Scouse bell-end signed a statement, claims he didn’t write it but the lawyers did.

Why did he sign it then?

I would not put my name to anything I hadn’t read thoroughly and agreed with.
Skybkueflux posted the evidence given by Elaine Cottam the other day, I didn’t listen to it all as she bored the fuckin tits off me (soz SBF) but she said the same thing (well she said it was her signature on a lot of things but she couldn’t remember).

This sounds to me like it was planned and orchestrated by the prosecution from the outset so their evidence all lined up, were their defence (while I assume were from the same pool had it been a Police prosecution) kept in the dark about certain things ? I’d imagine the prosecution were still governed by the rules of disclosure ?
I can see one or two missing the odd point throughout all this, but I struggle to imagine every single one of them missed vital information of such evidential value, something really doesn’t add up.
 
What would you suggest? Everyone should watch News at 10? Everyone should put an hour aside to watch Question Time every Thursday? Everyone should subscribe to Private Eye? And then when people see a report on a scandal, keep following the story so that they are abreast of what's going on? And then what about tomorrow when there's another scandal? Next week when there's another?

The truth is that as you've said, your friend was affected by this so it's more personal to you. This is why you didn't need the ITV drama to refresh your memory.

What are your thoughts on the council tax controversy that affected the people of East Anglia back in 2012? Please tell me you kept abreast of what went on... it really affected the working class.

Deepcut anyone?
 
What would you suggest? Everyone should watch News at 10? Everyone should put an hour aside to watch Question Time every Thursday? Everyone should subscribe to Private Eye? And then when people see a report on a scandal, keep following the story so that they are abreast of what's going on? And then what about tomorrow when there's another scandal? Next week when there's another?

The truth is that as you've said, your friend was affected by this so it's more personal to you. This is why you didn't need the ITV drama to refresh your memory.

What are your thoughts on the council tax controversy that affected the people of East Anglia back in 2012? Please tell me you kept abreast of what went on... it really affected the working class.
Ok you’ve made your point, I accept it’s difficult for people to follow what’s going on and I do know nothing about East Anglia. I wouldn’t presume to advise anyone what to watch or read, but I wish people were better at getting together and forcing politicians to make things happen. Probably X is the best platform. Certainly not BBC or MSM.
 
I've followed this scandal since 2003 when I heard about a conviction of a postmaster for theft, the sub postmaster talked about system issues but the article only mentioned this in passing and was generally of the opinion the postmaster was guilty, but it sparked a memory and subsequently lead me to wonder if his assertion was correct:-


In 1997 I worked for a large retailer and was on a team tasked with procuring a new EPOS system. One of the systems we were asked to evaluate was called Pathway. It was a bag of shit! The screen (badly calibrated) would often seemingly freeze but when it recovered you discovered it had accepted every key press. The system would kick you out of sub menu's/applications and often needed re-booting. In an attempt to instil some confidence the ICL rep (later they became Fujitsu) told us that the system we were looking at had been selected as a prototype and was currently being developed into a system for Post Offices, I remember thinking "god help them".

Needless to say I didn't necessarily go along with the 2003 article that the Postmaster was a thief!

Not sure I foresaw where we are today though!
 

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