Anyone just watched Mr Bates v the Post Office? *GNHQ tweaked the title*

I followed this case, it was disgusting what those people went through. Paula Vennells should be stripped of her CBE, what a kick in the face for her victims. A total disgrace as is the CBE awards now. She should pay her leaving package back too.
Has this country no shame, all an enquiry does is cost a fortune and the outcome, lessons have been learned, that’s a joke, no one any more is accountable. The people responsible should be up in court, made an example of.

I watched it and found it rivetting viewing. I thought it was extremely well acted. Toby Jones and Julie Hesmandough (sp?) are always good value but the actress who played Jo was also excellent. What a terrible thing. Yes, I also would like to know what happened to the money some of the victims paid up in order to extricate themselves. Why did it never show up in the corporate accounting? It should be refunded immediately. The good old Post Office is not as cuddly as we have been led to believe.

During Paula Vennells time as CEO, 2012 -2019 the Post Office went from losing £120 million a year to making a profit.
This may be why she did not want the accountancy system investigated.

Petition signed. I can’t remember when I last felt so angry watching a tv program. I hope this dramatisation will bring this story back into the headlines again. They deserve justice now, not in another twenty years.

Joseann

So, I wonder, was Mr. Bates' refusal to sign the papers like the others did, in any way less implicating, and less stressful for him personally? He was obviously far more savvy where accounts and record keeping were concerned. He is an interesting character.

They were all guilty of false accounting, weren't they? They signed to say that their accounts were correct, when they weren't because they'd made up the apparent shortfalls themselves. Mr Bates couldn't be guilty of that because he hadn't signed anything. If they didn't bring the police in then presumably they couldn't go for embezzlement instead.

What intrigues me is that surely, at some stage, the there was more money somewhere in the system than the individual post office accounts actually showed, because 100s of Post Masters/Mistresses had put in £1,000s of their own money to make up the apparent shortfalls. I don't know how accounting on a corporate scale works, collating figures from lots of small units, but there must have been some very discrepant figures somewhere along the line.

In addition to any compensation the PO really ought to repay all the money it effectively stole from its victims...

And well acted too.

So, I wonder, was Mr. Bates' refusal to sign the papers like the others did, in any way less implicating, and less stressful for him personally? He was obviously far more savvy where accounts and record keeping were concerned. He is an interesting character.

If it hasn't already happened, perhaps it is time that the Post Office right to investigate and prosecute in the criminal court, without a police investigation, should be removed.

I, too, found it almost unbearable to watch, Dinahmo.

What makes it worse is that some died with that false stain on their character and those who survive still really haven't been properly compensated.

Brahumbug

And next time some halfwit says the ridiculous phrase 'If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear', point them to this scandal 🙄

Well said, Brahumbug, this cannot be pointed out too often...👏

This was an almost unbearable watch. IT is an excelent programme and it's shocking the the Post Office still hasn't paid everyone their rightful compensation.

Maggiemaybe

Petition signed.

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/strip-paula-vennells-of-her-cbe

Signed. Thank you for the link.

eazybee

Paula Vennells received her CBE in 2019, the year in which she 'stepped down' from being CEO of The Post Office; she received it for 'services to the Post Office and charity.'

She was pressured into 'stepping back' from her role as priest in Holy Orders in 2021.

Her apology concerning the Post Office prosecutions:
"I am truly sorry that we were unable to find both a solution and a resolution outside of litigation and for the distress this has caused."
A truly dreadful, corrupt woman.

She should be prosecuted for lying in court for claiming that there were no other incidences of post masters having problems with the Horizon system.
This echoes the senior administers in the Lucy Letby case, Amanda Spielman and Alan Derry in Ofsted, the prison authorities for refusing to free Andrew Malkinson for 17 years because he refused to admit to a rape he had not committed, and many more miscarriages of justice.
Those lower down the scale pay the price.

I agree completely.

And when you look at Michelle Mone and her husband's activities re PPE, they're still walking about living the life of Riley. Talk about one law for the rich...

Very true Brahumbug
The more one looks the less democracy there is.
We are ruled by the dictat's of NGO'S.

Petition signed.

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/strip-paula-vennells-of-her-cbe

Excellent points, Brahumbug and Oldnproud.

The petition to strip Vennells of her CBE is on 38 Degrees (I’ve signed).

Watching last night made me so angry and upset in equal measures.

I have long thought it very wrong that someone who continues to protest their innocence, even after been pronounced guilty, seems to be more or less blackmailed into declaring themselves 'guilty' in order to avoid even harsher penalties.

This is exactly what a lot of these innocent victims were forced to do.
What a truly dreadful position to find yourself in.

And next time some halfwit says the ridiculous phrase 'If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear', point them to this scandal 🙄

MaizieD

There has been an Inquiry into Horizon ( I think it might still be ongoing).

I started looking for a link, but this page of search results might be more helpful as it covers more than just the Horizon Inquiry.

duckduckgo.com/?q=post+office+scandal+public+inquiry&t=chromentp&ia=web

It is ongoing, and is needed. What should happen, however, is a refusal to accept a ‘lessons will be learnt’ verdict. People need to know on the one hand that the justice system will protect the innocent, and on the other that power is not a licence to do as you please.

This event makes me truly ashamed of how my country is currently managed. So much takes so many years to reach a conclusion and those senior people found to be responsible never seem to pay any price at all materially or personally.

There has been an Inquiry into Horizon ( I think it might still be ongoing).

I started looking for a link, but this page of search results might be more helpful as it covers more than just the Horizon Inquiry.

duckduckgo.com/?q=post+office+scandal+public+inquiry&t=chromentp&ia=web

This is another example of how people in power escape justice, whilst the rest of us can suffer terribly for infringing rules that they put in place. I think people have had enough of this huge imbalance of power in what is supposed to be a benign democracy. A public inquiry is definitely needed, but the result should not be that ‘lessons have been learned’. It should have teeth, and justice should be seen to be done. I am not in favour of punishing mistakes which could happen to anyone, but lies, cover-ups and withholding of information without good reason should be firmly sanctioned, and the same rules should apply to everyone at all levels of organisations and of society in general.

DoodleDog
Radio 4 regularly update on this scandal.

And let’s not forget that the evil bitch who was in charge at the time was a former Anglican Priest. 😡 May she rot in hell.
The inquiry is still going on.

This story has been reported by Private Eye for years, in fact they may have been the first to bring it to attention, and campaign to bring it to public notice. I haven't watched the dramatisation yet, plan on doing so this week. Just to add insult to injury, I believe that this same Horizon have been awarded a contract to handle Police information.