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‘Not strictly correct.
The Mail picked up on it about 5 years ago when the compensation delay aspect really kicked in. And The Mail ran a campaign demanding payment to the victims. The Telegraph also had some coverage around that time.’Five years ago so likely 2018. Bridgen went to ‘all the national newspapers’ in 2010 with evidence and they all rejected it along with all the main broadcast news. Why did they sit on it that long and why didn’t they keep the campaign up when they did run it? That they belatedly ran something before dropping it again does not excuse them.
I have never seen almost universal public outcry like this and I cannot imagine it would have been much different five years ago if media had kept up the campaign.
Vennells has announced she is returning her CBE.
Nice of her. I wonder if she will return any of her salary and pension?
I hope the eponymous Mr Bates continues to tell them where to stick their ‘honours’.
Interesting to see the papers get all high and mighty about who has questions to answer. The very same ones who have ignored it along with most of Westminster, that’s been conveniently omitted from the editorials.
I’m sure when she was awarded this “honour” there must have a tiny voice in her head telling her it wasn’t right but it seems she is good at ignoring the tiny voices until they became a loud choir.
The more I know the less I understand.
My partner works for Royal Mail as a postie and can confirm VTC’s account. Surprising how many don’t know so I’d better point out here that Royal Mail is now a totally different company to The Post Office since the former’s privatisation. The problems (if not to the extent) was well known amongst Royal Mail workers for some considerable time… And as such I’ve taken an interest in this story for many many years. tbh There have been many articles written and documentaries made about the problem. So maybe some TRFers had just missed them. However, do agree that mainstream media could have done better. Possibly due to Crozier and (as Wilts says) Perkins but also… The apparent Post Office / Fujitsu cover up seems quite similar to what may have happened in the BBC regarding the Martin Bashir interview. At least in as much as trying to save the reputation of the institution. Anyway, enough of the Press / Media, it is the Post Office and Fujitsu that should be in the dock.
I watched this series with interest. Saw the first programme as it went out and affected me like no other “drama”. Couldn’t wait and binge watched the other three episodes. Am not an emotional person but this made me angry and although not in tears had to wipe my eyes a few times. The injustice of it all. Am pleased am obviously not alone.
Trying to look at this from all points of view. It is so hard not to jump to conclusions but I’ll try. Fact is this was a “drama series” strongly based on facts, done without the cooperation of the Post Office. So it did have to invent a few scenes how they thought it had happened… Which may not have put some people in the best of light. Can see that delegation sometimes means some decisions are not made by the top boss; but when the same thing continues time after time, year after year? Sorry, a top boss should know!
imo RTB’s OP has it spot on, this was the best factual drama I’ve ever seen.
The fact the Post Office have the right to decide who they take to court – must come to an end if it hasn’t already. Should be the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision… And not disclosing material that would have helped the courts come to the correct decision about their own employees who’ve previously been well thought of and have done so much for the company. Three letters, F, F and S come to mind for such a lot of this.
Hope we will find out whose idea it was to tell each postmaster / mistress “you’re the only one this is happening to”. So many it can’t have been a coincidence, has to be someone… And how much the Post Office knew about Fujitsu being able to alter accounts. I’d like to hear the ex-CEO’s excuse if she did not know of the cover-up… But when it goes on for so long and so many sub postmasters and postmistresses are apparently stealing… When there was little or none before Horizon. Wasn’t it blindingly obvious where the problem was?…
I believe the knighthood was for making the Post Office profitable again. But that shouldn’t be at the expense of the workers. tbh she had to give it back or be forced.
Value Is EverythingI find it utterly bewildering it has taken a drama series after 20 years since this whole fiasco began to make this the primary headline on the BBCs 10 o’clock news. I find it further mind numbing to know the Government has awarded Fujitsu a further 191 contracts in that time.
The more I know the less I understand.
Meanwhile, on this side of the ditch:
Civil servant who forced out whistleblower vet rewarded with promotion
byu/kharma45 innorthernirelandThis story is 2 years old but today’s update: Robert Huey- who was in charge of the whole sh*tshow and is a disgrace to the veterinary profession- has just retired (not been fired) with a fat pension. So that’s nice for him.
Honourable mention to Sam McBride of the Belfast Telegraph, the journalist who got his teeth into the story.
We’ve got some good journos here still- see also Malachi O’Doherty- the bit at the bottom about Slapp actions is pretty important I feel.:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-67913143It is always good to see a professionally self righteous Liberal Democrat get his comeuppance.
Called on 34 separate occasions for other people to resign but does not seem quite so enthusiastic about the idea for himself.
Today he refused 10 times to apologise for his role in the Post Office scandal and continued to whine and blame everyone else.
What a (insert suitable derogatory term).
I don’t expect the other party leaders care about Davey but it is no surprise they are not going out of their way to criticise him. Starmer faces questions about the DPP office’s role in prosecuting post masters and Sunak’s family has links to Fujitsu.
Given that the timeline covers various periods of Labour, Tory and Tory/LD coalition it’s no surprise they aren’t too keen to attack each other on this.
Same with the press really, the right wing part usually manages to blame the BBC and The Graun hasn’t particularly gone after the Tories because they all damn well know they dropped the ball.
Me on January 8th
“Davey! You’re fired!”Might be getting close now; reports some LDs are not happy with Davey’s excuse on this topic.
Brand’s report on ITV news this eve – Brand doing his best Andrew Neil impression and hammering Davey
.Another petition this time for him to be stripped of his Knighthood, not getting the fast response of Vennells’ and can’t see it happening myself.
The more I know the less I understand.
BBC website, in the last hour:
Tony Blair was warned the Horizon IT system at the centre of the Post Office scandal could be flawed before it was rolled out, a document shows.
A handwritten note from the then-Labour PM, published by the public inquiry on Friday, suggests he raised concerns after being warned the system was “possibly unreliable”.
But he said he gave it the go-ahead after being reassured by others.
Among them was Peter Mandelson, who was then his trade and industry secretary.
In a letter dated 10 December 1998, Lord Mandelson said he believed the “only sensible choice” was to proceed with Horizon.
He warned that cancelling the contract would cause “political fallout” from post office closures and damage relations with Fujitsu, which he described as a major investor in the UK.
It seems the Government has put so many contracts in their hands Fujitsu are probably in “control” of large sectors of government run organisations.
The more I know the less I understand.
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