Reporting the class action against the Post Office at the High Court

I said I would account for what I had “earned” from the Kickstarter campaign and PayPal tip jar on the www.postofficetrial.com website.

It looks like this…

Income:

Kickstarter = £8397

Paypal tip jar = £2245.52

Total income: £10642.52

Expenditure:

18 days work at £250 per day = £4500

Net surplus = £6142.52

I worked all 15 days of the trial plus two days of prep beforehand and one admin day during. The odd figures in the kickstarter and PayPal tip jar are down to the fees that both Kickstarter and Paypal take for themselves before passing on the cash.

The £250 day rate pays for my time, tax, travel, phone/data bills, food and caffeinated beverages. As my clients in journalism and the corporate world will attest, it is significantly less than I charge them. I am worried about giving them ideas, but hey…

It is my intention to work (on the same rate) at least three days on the trial in January – the day before the judgment, the Day of Judgment and the CMC [Case Management Conference] on 31 Jan.

This still leaves more than enough to cover the Horizon trial.

If I do three days in Jan and eighteen around the Horizon trial that’s 21 days at £5250, leaving me three days to deal with the Horizon trial judgment (in April/May) and any further case management hoo-ha thereafter.

This, of course, raises the grisly spectre of the supposed “Breach” trial in October, which I may come a-rattling for next spring or summer, but we can worry about that when we have a date from his Lordship.

I cannot begin to thank everyone who has donated in any way to this project. You have created an environment in which I am able to do some hopefully half-decent journalism. The unexpected side-effect is that the path through which many people have donated money has become a channel of incredibly valuable information. I am grateful.

Any further donations will be spent clearing down a few days to do some research, make a few phone calls and write a few blog posts, but to be honest I can probably do that in my own time, so please don’t give me any money if you already have.

If you are independently wealthy or you’ve never been here before and want to chuck a few quid in the tip jar, thank you – you’d be most welcome. I will account for it and promise it will be put to good use.