Paula Vennels says she’ll hand back CBE

[Andthereyougo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67925304

Sorry about gobbledegook title. Phone is playing up.

Any letters from the numerous politicians who also held that job? Or didn’t they bother communicating with Bates at all? Why are you intent on scapegoating one of many? They’re all culpable if one is.

@BIossomtoes why are you intent on suggesting that Davey shouldn't be held responsible? I don't disagree that other postal ministers should be held accountable but as far as I'm aware, none of them are the leader of a political party running in a general election. Surely his credibility has to be questioned?

James Arbuthnot, who was Jo Hamilton's MP, managed to cut through all the crap and ask the right questions. Why not Davey?

He did meet with Bates.

My chief question is why did the Tories give Vennells a job in the cabinet office in 2019?

Yes they were & the tories have been in since 2010, whats your point?

If people make this a party political thing, then we wont get to the bottom of why this occurred, why it has dragged on for so long and why nothing is still not being done about.. just talk.

The worst bit is the lack of action SINCE the court cases.

The government has just sat on its hands. Now they've suddenly noticed it happened?

@jasflowers just clarifying your earlier point that Cons were in it at the start when they weren't.

I agree it isn't party political - all parties should hang their heads in shame for letting it drag on so long.

Then stop scapegoating Davey and let’s go for the lot of them.

@JimBobsWife Oh yes they were, Peter Lilley commissioned the Horizon program in 1995, he announced it at that years Tory party Conf, one reason it was introduced was to clamp down on fraud.
It was thought this would reduce benefit fraud by £150 million per year

Perhaps if better procurement and testing was done by the Govt at that time, this scandal would never have happened.

No sympathy for the woman at all but do any of us actually know what she knew and what she did? I only know what I saw in the tv programme with Toby Jones. I expect it can't be far wrong else she'd be suing them filmakers.

@jasflowers ah ok, good to know.

It's really not though is it

She needs to be investigated over her role in all this and if any evidence of wrong doing is uncovered charged and bought to the courts for trial

Its a very complex subject.

I just want people held to account, PO executives, Labour LD and Conservative.

My fear is we will focus on one or two people and everyone else will be let off.

On Davey, yes he is a political leader going into a GE but so is Sunak, what did he do since being an MP, chancellor and now PM ? what did Starmer know as DPP ? he wasn't responsible for prosecutions but was he or the DPP aware?

I know right?! Can you imagine people of the church behaving appallingly and immorally? It’s completely and utterly unheard of in our social history.

I’m sure now all the men involved in the lies and deceit are hoping now a woman has taken some flak the outrage will calm

It’s worth listening to the BBC Sounds series on this.

They (The Post Office) did bring in forensic accountants (Second Sight) but as far as I can tell, they basically ignored them when the findings weren’t what the Post Office wanted. There are people interviewed on there talking about meetings ‘off the record’ as well.

It’s a long series and gets very, very detailed, so I’m struggling to remember it, but I also think they were basically worried that if Fujitsu were implicated then it would be bad for the big economic picture as they might pull out of other contracts, and it might even be bad for international relations.

Letting it get to this stage hasn’t helped much either though!

Church of England pushes to restore defrocking power | Church & Ministries News (christianpost.com)
It looks like its not currently possible to remove her.

How can she even walk down the street now without being attacked? Or has she disguised her identity?

The bbc podcast from 2020 is well worth a listen - this whole scandal was about someone trying to protect their (questionable) decision surrounding the Horizon IT system and prepared to screw over anyone in the process. There really should be criminal charges here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m000jf7j?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

@jasflowers all excellent points

If anyone is interested in the gory details, the Computer Weekly articles are worth a read. They go back many years.

Quite

It is amazing listening to people defending and defending and defending Horizon over the years.

They’re mistaken then, aren’t they? It’s entirely beside the point that she happens to be a woman.

Thanks to the person, sorry I don’t know your name, who posted the 38 Degrees petition on here. Apparently the petition had been going since 2020 but with publicity around the ITV drama signatures jumped to 1.2 million.
Agree it would have been better if it had been taken from her but don’t think that was ever going to happen.

Royal Mail owned the Post Office until 2012 when Royal Mail privatised and the Post Office went under government control. They kept this quiet to not hurt the share price for privatisation. Crozier is culpable and he seems to be flying under the radar........