mr bates vs the post office

Yeah last week’s inquiry was interesting. AB came across well, and as absolutely knowing the subject in finite details, far better than Alan Cook who seemed like he didn’t know anything about the legal side of PO when he was MD of PO.

” far better than Alan Cook who seemed like he didn’t know anything about the legal side of PO when he was MD of PO.”

Are you better appearing a bit thick or a bit evil and dishonest?

Alan Cook two quite pointy exchanges  https://youtu.be/LgzwPuwbBrM?t=8125 https://youtu.be/LgzwPuwbBrM?t=8607

Vennels is up today and for the next couple.

I expect though as per most of the other witnesses her memory is going to be a bit shaky and so whilst being really sorry wont be able to help much.

^

She seems to have two memories. Where it points a finger at her actions, decidedly rusty. When someone else is at fault, it’s much better. How odd!

I expect though as per most of the other witnesses her memory is going to be a bit shaky and so whilst being really sorry wont be able to help much.

It’s almost as if you wrote the script.

So Vennells has admitted lying to parliament.

I’ll stick the kettle on.

I’m gutted for her. Obviously the main victim in all this. Poor woman.

if she trys to throw anyone else under the buss today there will be no one left.

Vile people who are unable to take responsibility for incompetent and probably illegal actions.

Get all the top people and dump them in the Coliseum. Last one standing is innocent, maybe?

The state gets to redistribute their wealth to the victims

Crocodile tears…

if she trys to throw anyone else under the buss today there will be no one left.

I’m surprised she’s not blamed any civil servants or ministers.  Perhaps that will come.  I doubt they will be directly culpable, but it seems some of the cultural priorities must be established by the expectations of the shareholder.

Vile people who are unable to take responsibility for incompetent and probably illegal actions.

It would be refreshing if just one of them said “Yes, I thought it was better for my career to follow this course of action.  Clearly long term that has not been the case.”  The reality is, I don’t think the culture and problems here are that unique.  Lots of toxic government institutions which prioritise the organisation over the people the employ and serve, and private organisations with shareholders are not necessarily any better.  A culture where spinning it for this month/quarter/annual report takes priority over doing it right – because short term spin is rewarded and long term fixing is not.

Some jail time would be nice for her. A despicable human.

Group think is generally rewarded in organisations. Independent thinking, generally, is not.

A culture where spinning it for this month/quarter/annual report takes priority over doing it right – because short term spin is rewarded and long term fixing is not.

You’d think various recent government and business actions would have brought us to a point where this is understood and will change going forward, but I’m expecting to be disappointed.

I want to know where ‘the other side’ of all this so called missing money went – there is a control account with millions sat on it ? Or who has been really on the rob.

I want to know where ‘the other side’ of all this so called missing money went – there is a control account with millions sat on it ? Or who has been really on the rob.

My understanding is that there was no actual financial loss to the PO? The system issues resulted in apparent losses that suggested the postmasters/mistresses had been pocketing money.

The PO then pocketed any money that the accused paid back to avoid being charged?

The money that the subpostmasters “paid back” went into a balancing account, from where it was absorbed into their general profits.

Lots of toxic government institutions which prioritise the organisation over the people

See also contaminated blood, the eventual enquiry aboout sewage and any NHS error in the recent past.

Making a statutory duty to be candid on pain of jail time when managing a public service can’t come soon enough.

I know PV already believed in god, but with today’s election news she’ll be doubling down on that belief no doubt.

Making a statutory duty to be candid on pain of jail time when managing a public service can’t come soon enough.

Absolutely.

Obviously the main victim in all this. Poor woman.

I did sort of feel sorry for her at the end. Got told no more question so time to relax but then the judge decided to throw in a finisher.

Then on reflection I remembered its all self inflicted and massively outweighed by the damage caused to the subpostmasters and their families so I got over it.

Just watching 5 minutes of the footage yesterday she is following the tactics of previous witnesses. She can’t really recall key details with any clarity when it’s about her but can  remember enough about other people’s activities at that time to shift the blame/focus onto them

I hope they all burn in hell for the suffering they inflicted upon innocent people. Aloof doesn’t begin to describe the attitude towards the little people.

She knows she’s culpable and that is why the waterworks came on when required

Her actions don’t match her words.

It’s relatively easy to say sorry and feel sorry for oneself when we’re in trouble. It’s much harder to take responsibility for things.

She must have either have known, or have been actively trying not to know what was going on IMO.

It’s relatively easy to say sorry and feel sorry for oneself when we’re in trouble.

It’s the classic she is sorry she/they have been found out IMO.

I have to point out that it’s human nature to remember everything that exculpates yourself and forget everything that incriminates yourself.

It’s not really about her being a Bad Person, she’s probably no better and no worse than the majority of people would be in that situation. It’s why we need robust institutions, protection for whistleblowers and a healthy distrust of authorities.

It’s not like the evidence hasn’t been all around us through our entire lives.

She knew about all of it. She made a conscious decision to take the actions the PO did. She had the power to stop it but made the decision to continue the whole disgusting charade. She has lied and is continuing to lie now.

I know PV already believed in god, but with today’s election news she’ll be doubling down on that belief no doubt.

She and the media have another two? Days of her enquiry evidence for her to gaff (or cry) her way on to the front pages.

Unfortunately she’s only shown how incompetent and complacent she was in the role of CEO, imo too trusting and stupid to change a broken system.

Having worked with PO and now ‘for’ the PO in my shop, they has always been and still is a gap between PO management and Postmasters. For example we’ve run out post office for over 8years now – we’ve seen an area manager face to face twice in that time…

All these highly paid CEO melon farmers will be the first to tell you they’re paid so well because of the significance of the responsibilities they burden. So maybe no better and no worse but utterly accountable irrespective of any recall issues.

She can’t really recall key details with any clarity when it’s about her but can remember enough about other people’s activities at that time to shift the blame/focus onto them

That was raised to her yesterday and needless to say she went silent, got out an onion and then waffled.

It’s not really about her being a Bad Person, she’s probably no better and no worse than the majority of people would be in that situation.

It’s the group-think in these sorts of organisations that prioritises and rewards short term gains at any price over any other consideration that ends up with folks like Vennels into enquiries like this.

It’s not really about her being a Bad Person

I’d go further. I think that believing that you are a “good person” can make you more prone to doing spectacularly bad things.

It’s all part of being a religious zealot, right? Believing that the org you’re part of must be right despite all logic and the cost to the little people.

I did sort of feel sorry for her at the end. Got told no more question so time to relax but then the judge decided to throw in a finisher.

it was quite a way to finish for the day.  Sir Wyn doesn’t normally ask pointed questions.

i do wonder what the inquiry can really say, other than “the organisation had deep seated problems, is riddled with lies and liars and major corporate governance issues”. No doubt the outcome will be a major overhaul of PO management, and the police might prosecute a few scape goats.  Beyond that, perhaps some changes to private prosecutions / investigative powers of the PO.  But is anyone really expecting it to change other institutions?  My guess is they are all looking on saying “that’s scandalous, it would never happen here” whilst being run in exact pg the way that puts the institution first.

So is there going to be an avenue for the postmasters get any more compensation out of this process,  given that legal fees ate up most of the initial payout?  Christ knows they deserve it

So is there going to an avenue for the postmasters get any more compensation out of this process,  given that legal fees ate up most of the initial payout?  Christ knows they deserve it

The new/enhanced compensation scheme that the government set up along with quashing their convictions is supposed to do exactly that.  BUT that is really an outcome of the ITV drama not the Inquiry!   I’m not sure if the Inquiry would have had the power to instigate that (or even to recommend it) if the government hadn’t been shamed into action.

“Crocodile tears…”

Exactly what said when I saw that charade yesterday.  She needs putting in jail… and the £million+ pay she got during this time reclaiming.  Evil self serving bitch that evidently didn’t give a fhuck about anyone else but her own position.

I have to point out that it’s human nature to remember everything that exculpates yourself and forget everything that incriminates yourself

That is true but the PO witnesses have been stretching that to the absolute limit.

Jarnail Singh had no memory of receiving the email telling him about the flaws with Horizon. No recollection of opening the email. No clue about whether he’d saved it on his HDD (he had).

Despite this, he had surprisingly clear memory of NOT printing it out (which he had).

I’m sure the Archbishop is delighted to have someone of such high morals ordained into th priesthood. She sounds like a perfect match.