Good morning!
Two people gave evidence yesterday – former Post Office minister Jo Swinson and former CEO of Royal Mail Group, Dame Moya Greene. For reasons which will become clear I focused solely on what Swinson had to say and wrote it up here:
Furious Swinson claimed Paula Vennells deceived her
Having slept on it, I think Swinson’s done a great job of highlighting the failings of those around here and she clearly did try to get somewhere with this scandal, but, as she admitted – she failed to meet Alan Bates, despite him telling her she was being lied to by her advisors and she failed to get Second Sight into her office after successfully winning a bizarre battle to see their final report.
Swinson was right to bring the Inquiry and our focus back to the first Clarke Advice. That document is central to this scandal and had the recipient – Susan Crichton – done the right thing and taken it straight to Vennells things might have been different. Though, knowing Vennells, she might have found a way either to cover it up (something Swinson is alleging she did anyway) or hired expensive legal advice to tell her what she wanted to hear (which also may have happened anyway – cf. Brian Altman KC).
We know the Post Office couldn’t wait to get Second Sight out of the building when they started uncovering inconvenient truths
Either way, the Clarke Advice should have gone from Crichton to Vennells to Swinson, possibly via Alice Perkins in less that 48 hours. It didn’t, and that’s why the scandal took another six years, millions of pounds and vast reservoirs of human endeavour to finally break open.
Other takes on Swinson and Greene’s evidence:
Jo Swinson criticises ‘duplicitous’ civil servants at Post Office inquiry – Guardian
Vennells knew prosecution of post office operators was wrong, inquiry told – Guardian
Paula Vennells told me postmasters had their ‘fingers in the tills’, Jo Swinson claims – Telegraph
Paula Vennells ‘slavishly’ maintained Horizon was fine despite knowing faults – ITV News
Two things
Thing one: Watch telly on Monday night! There’s a documentary on BBC1 about the Post Office scandal fronted by some chap called Will Mellor. It’s called Surviving the Post Office, and you can find it on iPlayer (after its gone out) here.
Thing two: the Subpostmasters’ Social last night was a lovely evening. We wanted to make it a “safe space” (in that ghastly modern phrase) to give people who’ve been there, done that a chance to talk to each other without having to do inquiry/legal stuff, media, speeches or admin. Accordingly I took no photos and just tried to make sure everyone present was having a good time.
As well as some familiar faces and old friends, there were three former Subpostmasters present who had never met anyone who’d been through what they’d been through. It was great to see them mingling, making friends and sharing stories.
Next week
Due to family commitments I will be unable to attend the Inquiry on Tuesday and Friday, but I’ll be there for Wednesday and Thursday. I’ll probably send out my next newsletter on Wednesday morning unless something huge happens.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Nick