Hello friends

I realise I’m turning into a bit of a completist, but I thought you might like to read a transcript of the only time the Post Office has agreed to be interviewed about Horizon.

It was a Today programme interview in 2014 and it features Mark Davies, the Post Office Director of Communications.

The interview was prompted by an indication from MPs, led by James (now Lord) Arbuthnot, that they had lost faith in the Post Office’s ability to be true to the assurances they had given over the investigation into the Horizon system and the subsequent complaint and mediation scheme.

Both Lord Arbuthnot and his former constituent (and claimant in this litigation) Jo Hamilton are also interviewed.

It seems like ancient history now, but I hope someone will find it interesting or useful. Read it here.

BEIS Inquiry

On the parliament.uk website: “The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee holds a one-off evidence hearing on Tuesday 21st May on the Post Office network, examining issues such as the franchising of Post Offices, the reduction of Government subsidies, and the long-term resilience of the service.”

I know some secret emailers have submitted evidence to this hearing (if you want to – you have two hours, the deadline is today – here’s the link).

Unfortunately I won’t be around to attend, but it will be live streamed, and of course, appear in Hansard. I’ll pick over it from my German hotel room.

Paypal button: centred

In other news, you may remember in the last secret email I made a plaintive appeal for help with some html code. Being ignorant of the Dark Arts, I have not, until now, been able to centre my paypal tip jar button at the bottom of this email or on any of the Post Office Trial webpages. Grrr.

Thanks to the excellent offices of secret emailer Barry Lord, who professes not to be an html wizard, but nonetheless admits to writing it “on and off over about 18 years”, I now have what I believe to be an aesthetically pleasing and functioning tip jar button.

Please do have a go at testing it – if the drop down menu works and the “Pay Now” button takes you through to the PayPal website (with the exciting chance to give “fnng industries llp” as much money as you like), then I will insist that Barry Lord is an official wizard of the Dark Arts and accord him the respect he deserves. You won’t actually be charged anything until you go a few steps further, so feel free to have a play around. If anything doesn’t work, please let me know.

Also – having tested it myself, I can see why some people get put off entering their credit card details – there’s nothing on the paypal page to link “fnng industries llp” to me or the Post Office Trial website/project, so I might work on making that more user-friendly when I next get a moment.

Thanks for your continued support, especially those kind souls who stumble across the website during quiet periods and still feel moved to donate. I hope this secret email finds you well, and you enjoy them just as much when they start arriving twice a day during the weeks court is sitting!

Best regards

Nick