to enjoy hearing Paula Vennels being taken apart?

[Sausagenbacon]

Is anyone else listening - radio 5 at the moment. Paula Vennels being slowly picked apart by an expert?

@Daphnis156 I was thinking that too.

I think Jane McCleod was the PO lawyer who was in charge of the Bates v PO case - but she has done a bunk to Australia for a "career break" and refuses to return to give evidence

The exception to your general rule is the church of England. Vicars are entitled to register marriages and do not need a registrar to sign the form for them.

I’m using JB as my inspiration for all meetings from now on. If anyone tries to blame Susan, their keyboard and not understanding what a bug is, they’re going to get a long icy cold stare, calm, cutting and to the point questions, followed by another impassive stare, while they are thinking up an alternative, but equally unbelievable excuse for whatever cock-up it is. First attempt is at midday tomorrow .

I believe that's the sub-postmasters.

Seema Misra wrongly convicted gave birth whilst in prison and was handcuffed in hospital

how does all these people live with themselves

The exception to your general rule is the church of England. Vicars are entitled to register marriages and do not need a registrar to sign the form for them.

Methodist Church Ministers can also be registered to do so.

It's a number of different interest groups also including the Vichy Postmasters Federation, Gareth Jenkins, the Fujitsu engineer facing prosecution, etc

She was my local postmistress. I remember seeing her husband and son walking to school during/after her case. Their son was probably around 9 at the time, they had tried for years to get pregnant after his birth.

To be strictly correct, that should be Gareth Jenkins, the Fujitsu engineer potentially facing prosecution, etc.

Oh my God.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68787990.amp

On the CofE questions: PV is not and never has been a “vicar”. She is an ordained priest, but not a vicar. A vicar is a relatively senior priest who runs a parish and is paid a stipend to do so, so it’s their job. Other priests like PV work as unpaid assistants to vicars in whatever time they have to give. Most of them, as PV was, are employed full time in another career. The name for this in the CofE is “non Stipendiary minister” or NSM.

In fact PV “stepped back” from all ministry in 2021, following a conversation with her bishop. I cannot imagine her or the bishop deciding it’d be a good idea for her to restart: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/30-april/news/uk/cleric-who-ran-the-post-office-steps-back-from-ministry

The Church does have disciplinary processes for errant clergy, notably the Clergy Discipline Measure, and I’m not quite sure why nobody’s ever brought a case against her for “conduct unbecoming”, which is one of its categories. However, even if she was censured under it the worst that could happen would be that she would be banned from ministering, which she’s already voluntarily relinquished.

Local authorities are like this when you complain about the education and law breaking around SEND. Reality is there for bending. And the top brass earn an absolute mint whilst schools are being paid buttons to try and cover their legal responsibilites. The amount of smoke and mirrors is unbelievable unless you have ever had the misfortune to run into an organisational culture like this.

I hope, that provided it's what Seema Misra wants, PV has to listen to the hell she put her through.

Oh my pants!

@Alltheyearround

Yeah local authorised don't across the board, all organisations.

Littered with corruption and rot

@Alltheyearround

Yeah local authorities do it across the board, across all departments.

Littered with corruption and rot.

@Quirkyme what I don't understand is the complete lack of consequences.

If you or I broke the law we'd be banged up but these corporate criminals who make life a misery for everyone get paid a good wage and go home laughing.

LA's act with impunity as they know they will get a slap on the worst at most from OFSTED or the LGO. In my last complaint I told them they were undermining public trust. They feel free to break the law as nothing is stopping them. We need policing bodies, whistle blowers and regulation with teeth to be able to gain any sort of ground here.

Makes me sick.

Well I do understand really, its called imbalance of power with no checks and balances.

You just need to tell them it was 'Susan' and you're sorted.

100%.

In terms of the good ones in the councils/LAs, like internally, when one speaks up and has solid incriminating evidence, that will expose them, they just pay them off.

They sometimes pay off parents too. Not as high as internal staff who will take them to tribunal and expose their asses, but a lot of mistakes are made in Children's Services, and parents are often paid a sum with regards to mistakes with education and children with SEN needs.

@DanielGault

I just don't have the brass neck to blame people whose fault it wasn't!

I knew I was going wrong somewhere in life.

Well now you know! #blamesusan

I didn't ask that question.