Mr Bates versus The Post Office

[CharlieOneSix]

Having watched the excellent ITV drama over the last four nights I was appalled by the way the Post Office and their CEO Paula Vennels handled the cases of the 500+ postmasters stripped of their jobs due to the corrupt Horizon software. Some were jailed, bankrupted and in some cases sadly took their own lives because of the stress. The saga is still going on after 20 years. During that time Paula Vennels left the Post Office with a £400,000 payout and in 2019 was awarded a CBE "for services to The Post Office".

If you haven't seen the ITV drama then it is worth viewing it. My blood pressure must have gone sky high with anger whilst watching it.

There is a UK petition to strip Paula Vennells of her CBE. We have both signed it and added our names to the - so far - 484,425 other signatories. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... of-her-cbe

[ricardian]

Signed this yesterday. Disgusting behaviour by Post Office management and by the Government

[FD2]

Having watched the excellent ITV drama over the last four nights I was appalled by the way the Post Office and their CEO Paula Vennels handled the cases of the 500+ postmasters stripped of their jobs due to the corrupt Horizon software. Some were jailed, bankrupted and in some cases sadly took their own lives because of the stress. The saga is still going on after 20 years. During that time Paula Vennels left the Post Office with a £400,000 payout and in 2019 was awarded a CBE "for services to The Post Office".

If you haven't seen the ITV drama then it is worth viewing it. My blood pressure must have gone sky high with anger whilst watching it.

There is a UK petition to strip Paula Vennells of her CBE. We have both signed it and added our names to the - so far - 484,425 other signatories. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... of-her-cbe

Disgusting woman - so called 'Christian' to boot. Signed.

[OFSO]

Signed - the OFSOs

[Smeagol]

I think the whole episode highlights the state of the so called British justice system. If you are accused of something you basically have to prove your innocence which is often almost impossible, so you are 'advised' to plead guilty to get a lesser sentence. As was the case for many of the sub-postmasters.

[FD2]

I'm puzzled about the behaviour of the senior Post Office staff. There was bound to be a certain low level of dishonesty - that's human nature after all - but for it to have suddenly leapt to amazing levels must have sounded alarm bells amongst those whose job it was to keep an eye on these matters. Did they pass their fears up the line and get over-ruled or were they just useless at their jobs and eager only to prove their talent for an inquisition?

[jimtherev]

I suspect that for most the progression was gullible -> suspicious -> fearful for their jobs when they realised that senior management were committed to their disgusting lies.

[Ex-Ascot]

Done but I had to cheat with the post code. Put an old one.

[Alisoncc]

Same here. Alison

[tango15]

Added my name to the list. This practice, if that is the right word for it, was abominable. Never mind the removal of her CBE, the woman should be behind bars, but of course that will never happen in the Britain-for-the Privileged that exists today.

[Smeagol]

Ditto

[OFSO]

A person in a high position doing the Honourable Thing ? Pigs, wings, fly....

I see our hapless prime minister has said it's nothing to do with him. "Well he would, wouldn't he!"

[Pinky the pilot]

I'd sign it if I knew of a suitable postcode to use. I suspect that it would not accept an Aussie one.

[Wodrick]

PM sent

[1DC]

I see the Prime Minister is investigating wether all the post masters involved can legally be given a pardon, I wonder if that is for a genuine consideration for the people or because it is an election year?

[CharlieOneSix]

Amazing - just now the petition was increasing by 138 signatories a minute and has reached 993,855 so at that rate it will be over 1,000,000 within the next 45 minutes!

[Woody]

Rapidly moving towards 1.2 million

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Government Ministers are almost all entirely incompetent.
People like Paula Vennels get paid to make things happen in the general direction of Government policy, no matter how stupid that is.
The deal is they get paid off if it doesn't work, so the Minister and the Government don't get blamed. In fact they get paid off either way.
As such, there is zero chance of Ed Davey losing his knighthood or Vennels losing her money, because that would set a precedent by which the whole sad show would collapse. Stephen Byers? Bliar? They are all as hopelessly incompetent and dishonest as Davey.
In truth, Vennels is guilty of fraud and perjury, arguably corporate manslaughter also, and should be inside for 5 years minimum, and no payoff or pension. It'll never happen.

[Pinky the pilot]

Signed. Thanks Wodrick.

[probes]

Is it possible to make a brief summary for a non-brit? I mean, I've seen the headlines, but the amount is somewhat overwhelming.