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

The spokesman for the Bishop of St.Albans has said Paula Vennells should not be judged on a TV drama that is 'a bit like The Crown'; she should not be judged until the facts are known in the wake of an ongoing public enquiry. The Bishop has been in touch with Vennels and the church is 'offering her support.'
They would do better to offer their support to those who have lost their livelihood, their money and their good name, as a result of Vennels' dereliction of duty.

Callistemon21

When I think of Rev Paula Vennells receiving a CBE for turning the Post Office losses into a profit and knowing how she managed to do that, I am reminded of Jesus going into the temple and turning over the money tables.
The Post Office managers were a den of thieves.

And she was an ordained priest!! 😡😡

We were both crying at the end last night.
No, nothing will ever turn back time.
And the process of giving compensation and overturning convictions should be given priority. Instead of making excuses for the length of time it will take.

Good point Callistemon.

When I think of Rev Paula Vennells receiving a CBE for turning the Post Office losses into a profit and knowing how she managed to do that, I am reminded of Jesus going into the temple and turning over the money tables.
The Post Office managers were a den of thieves.

I went to sleep last night thinking about all these families and woke up this morning thinking about them.

A powerful drama, no matter how much compensation these people will eventually receive, they cannot get back all those years of worry, stress, humiliation, finger pointing , truly shocking! You cannot get it out of your head once you have watched the drama.

Like OP have said, how can you go to bed at night go to sleep knowing what you have done to these innocent families. It is not normal is it. You must have to be so Callous so evil, yes I will use the word Evil.

These people were dishonest and culpable for the suffering of so many innocent postmasters.. They even lied to successive government ministers who raised concerns. These senior executives, Paula Vennels and others, should be prosecuted.

Agree Varian

In my opinion it seems the more a State does, the less well it does it.

Did this government set out to do more Urmstongran. They keep telling us - over 14 years - that they are the government of the smaller state. That's going well then

Not read through the thread as I am just on with episode 4 on catch up.

fancythat

*This shocking injustice has actually united the people of the U.K.*

People around where I live, are certainly talking about it.

I certainly haven't heard anybody speak any differently from the way we feel.

Urmstongran

In my opinion it seems the more a State does, the less well it does it. British Leyland anyone? B.T. if you didn’t mind the waiting list for a telephone line - a party one to share if you were fortunate whilst ‘waiting’ for your own number?
🤣
Essentially the state should do less but try to do it better.
What we need are politicians honest enough to explain that to the media and to us, the voters.

The privatised water companies are doing so well, aren't they, Ug. Not to mention the privatised rail companies...

The Horizon system started to cause problems in 1999 - 25 years ago. There should be an investigation into Fujitsu, who created the faulty software, and into the various senior executives in the Post Office who knew there were problems but instructed their staff answering phones and auditors to tell postmasters who complained that "they were the only one experiencing these problems" when they knew that was untrue.

These people were dishonest and culpable for the suffering of so many innocent postmasters.. They even lied to successive government ministers who raised concerns. These senior executives, Paula Vennels and others, should be prosecuted.

In my opinion it seems the more a State does, the less well it does it. British Leyland anyone? B.T. if you didn’t mind the waiting list for a telephone line - a party one to share if you were fortunate whilst ‘waiting’ for your own number?
🤣
Essentially the state should do less but try to do it better.
What we need are politicians honest enough to explain that to the media and to us, the voters.

When I was in a post office a few weeks ago I was told the Post Office is now 4 completely different companies which is why we couldn’t change old stamps at a post office for the new ones and had to send off for them somewhere else.
I had wondered.

This shocking injustice has actually united the people of the U.K.

People around where I live, are certainly talking about it.

Callistemon21

^Rather sad that it takes a TV drama to achieve some further movement on the ongoing Post Office scandal*

I agree. It is something that we've been aware of for years, many of us felt angry and distressed on behalf of those who were victims of a computer system then punished and victimised but Government(s) have looked the other way and ignored this.

I agree as well.

I wrote elsewhere that my faith has gone or going, on British justice and government[s].

Where was the collective force of all their MPs??

The petition began some years ago with only about 300 signatures. .
When I signed last week there were about 1000 signatures and since then it has picked up incredibly quickly.
1, 000,000 im s few days is truly amazing,
It can’t be ignored and at last some notice is being taken.

“This Post Office scandal should end our fixation with big government
Perhaps it is time politicians – and the public – realised that state control is the most brutal and unpleasant form of ownership“

Matthew Lynn.
The Telegraph today.

Thank you for claifying Icanhandthemback, I don't know anything about bankruptcy, once discharged are the debts written off?

The fact of the matter, is the Post Office stole these peoples' money, their life savings, money they had to raise from remortgaging, loans etc. Yes great isn't it, she Paula Vennells turns the Post Offices losses into profits, lumped into those figures, ill gotten gains accrued by deception, commonly known as fraud! Surely the committee that recommended her for a CBE must have known that!

^Rather sad that it takes a TV drama to achieve some further movement on the ongoing Post Office scandal*

I agree. It is something that we've been aware of for years, many of us felt angry and distressed on behalf of those who were victims of a computer system then punished and victimised but Government(s) have looked the other way and ignored this.

Rather sad that it takes a TV drama to achieve some further movement on the ongoing Post Office scandal. Fact is it needs daily mention or it will slip into the backwater yet again election or no election. I'm hoping like mad that some TV programmers will get in on the bandwagon and do a similar service for the poor souls who were transfused with faulty blood. Do we have no national moral standards any more?

Probably Pittcity. It’s election year after all…

Is the fact that Rishi is now investigating ways of reparation simply to gain votes?

Are there any men in the U.K. not been made a Sir? All come out now but did nothing until Toby Jones played Mr. Bates. This shocking injustice has actually united the people of the U.K.

I note Sir Ed Davy is keeping a very low profile …

If you watch the series, sodapop that was the only way they could challenge the Post Office and, in every case the Post Office pushed up the costs as much as possible.

The greatest error, it seems to me, was that everyone was considered guilty until they proved their innocence. I can see just the same thing happening with the DWP being able to have downloads of people's bank accounts. The idea that all computerised systems always give accurate results has got to be confronted. It all reminds me of the film Minority Report!

Where have you read that, sodapop?

Lawyers are extremely expensive.

This is a very long read, but it explains how legal fees accumulated for the initial class action

www.thelawyer.com/how-justice-done-in-post-office-scandal/