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A Lost Decade – politicalbetting.com
A Lost Decade – politicalbetting.com
Quietly explosive end to Bates' evidence in the #PostOfficeInquiry. He believes that part of the reason that the Post Office threw everything into crushing his claim, was to avert the possibility of criminal appeals in prosecutions that *they already knew were wrong*. ~AA pic.twitter.com/nMWgO38MEc
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What is particularly concerning is the attitude of the investigators who had apparently been briefed to say that nobody else has these problems! That this was dishonest is an understatement.
Those involved need to ask themselves, why they insisted on maintaining their positions; why did they not question themselves?
They remind me of clerics in the middle ages, who insisted that the Pope was always right, and burned as heretics those who disagreed.
The PO lacked respect. Would we be surprised to see class in the frame?
Anyway, despite my (Marxist?) curiosity, the header is encouraging me take a thoughtful approach to a complaint.
(I disdain the politics / views of a critic and maintaining objectivity is tricky.)
Thank you for this and previous.
A couple of decades ago, there was a big problem with letters going missing from Gloucester sorting office. Not criminality, just the incompetence of the manager. My father and eight of his friends co-ordinated a ringing in campaign, calling this manager on his personal line in turn half an hour apart to complain about his performance.
His response to every single one was, 'I'm sorry to hear you've had such a bad experience, but you're the only person who's had a problem.'
My father was the eighth caller. He read out the names of the other seven...
(Two weeks later that official surpassed himself by saying to one disgruntled shop owner, 'If you show me the envelopes of the letters that haven't arrived I'll tell you why they got lost.')
Amount given bilaterally to poorer nations fell by nearly 10 per cent in 2023 while the largest spending cuts were made in Asia
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/10/half-of-foreign-aid-budget-is-spent-in-uk-on-asylum-seekers/ (£££)
Maybe the right would be advised to adopt this point to be seen as caring rather than racist.
You’d think of my age I’d got over being naive, but I absolutely do not understand how somebody in that position can repeat with a straight face to the eighth complainant that “you’re the only person who had that problem”.
This goes way beyond what happened at the Post Office. It summarises the inability of the UK management class generally - in the public and private sector - to engage with anything that challenges comfortable assumptions and established ways of doing things. The immediate reaction to someone asking awkward questions or raising difficult points is not to engage but to ignore them, to label them a trouble maker or to try to make them go away - or a combination of all three. In the absence of dynamic, open-minded senior leadership - and how often is that found anywhere? - this means problems fester and get worse.
The PO is a particularly egregious example and one that has directly ruined a lot of lives but this is something that is deeply embedded in how things are run across the board in this country. It's at the root of so many of our problems.
What the issue has in common with so many aspects of public life is that the whole process is too slow. These people languish for years. If we could greatly reduce the time taken these people could be either working (having been granted asylum) or deported (if unsuccessful). The system is costly because it is vastly inefficient.
I've always been close enough to minion level to not have much "how to deal with complaints" training, but the bits I've had have always focused on how to defuse complainants, rather than expedite complaints.
They won just short of a 2/3 majority - which would have made life impossible for the incumbent President - but sufficient seats to remove any brakes on parliamentary procedure.
The next couple of years should be interesting.
(Highest voter turnout in over three decades.)
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=372467
Following this scandal has proved not only enlightening but personally helpful in my own jousts with large organisations in recent years. In my case it has been Gloucestershire Police and British Gas, but it could equally well have been others, and I'm sure PBers will be able to quote their own examples.
Lessons have been learned, by me at least. Don't accept that they are either competent or honest. Do not accept what you know not to be true, even if it is offered as a compromise deal. Fight your corner, and if possible, connect with others who have been mistreated.
I'm still hoping to see prosecutions in the PO case. Although part of me feels some sympathy with Vennels - how does she sleep nights? - I think we have to see her and her colleagues in the dock if the message is ever to get through to the senior management of large organisations that they are not immune, however well-connected they may be. If that can be demonstrated in the PO case, there is some hope that others will truly learn lessons.
I am not holding my breath but I remain hopeful. Your efforts, and those of other like you, Ms CF, nurture that hope.
Does this mean we're living in a post-apocalypse world?
The next big case study is Boeing, where they replaced senior engineers on the board with finance and MBA types, and totally forgot that their first job was to make good aeroplanes.
It seems extraordinarily unlikely that there isn't strong prima facie evidence to bring criminal charges against a fairly large number of those involved in this affair.
It would bring the criminal justice system into further disrepute were it not to take notice.
I am slightly more confident than you that this will be the outcome. We'll fairly soon have a new government which has not been in power for a decade and a half, led by a former DOP, with no great incentive to brush things under the carpet.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-postman-1997
Mr. Sandpit, the 'computer says no' fools are going to be an even bigger problem with AI sometimes being super accurate and sometimes churning out tosh.
Maybe better framed as the elevation of Management as a generic thing in itself over knowledge of the thing being managed. That's been around a long time, long enough for "alas, I am an expert and shall rise no higher" to be a trope in Yes, Minister. But it seems to be growing and becoming increasingly toxic.
Is there much merit in that? Can't the police interview someone on a narrow case of perjury for example without waiting for the report or having a full understanding of the whole shebang?
Seriously, though, one does wonder whether some of these people are, in fact, expecting trouble. Serious trouble.!
Their time in the witness box at the enquiry has been a long time coming; as I’ve posted before, I wonder whether we going to see some of these people consulting their solicitors before answering each question!
To end that principle and explicitly declare UK interests for each programme, and remember these are programmes in the poorest places in the world, has actually reduced the convening power and leadership that the UK had. The forced merger of the FCO and the ID departments has created a department-FCDO- which is weaker than either of its predecessors. It has also drastically reduced the amount of money that the UK gives to the world's poorest.
It may not be the most egregious of Tory crimes, but people have died because of these decisions and British influence reduced still further.
One has to wonder if any day of justice for any of the sub-postmasters would have been seen were it not for Alan Bates' tenacity.
Looking at her CV that appears to be precisely what happened to Paula Vennells:
https://www.gov.uk/government/people/paula-vennells
But on the other hand, justice delayed is justice denied, and as everyone involved gets a few years older it means more victims pass on without seeing the end result, and more perpetrators can argue that they’re too old for prison food.
Personally, I hope the report, or even a quick interim report after the evidence, leaves it in no doubt that files on a number of named individuals are being passed to police and prosecutors.
The cynical (who have proved right so far) would argue the delay is a matter of deliberate policy.
Though I note the enquiry chair this week, in the context of further PO stalling tactics, expressed a wish to finish as soon as possible.
If it's not embedded, then a single individual at the top will struggle to make any difference.
People, often mediocre, get appointed to positions with salaries and other benefits that make normal people flinch. The game then is to preserve yourself in this position. Part of this is to create the impression that you are better and busier (therefore not expendable) than is actually the case. This is far more important than other concerns.
Every single time we had a new potential partner one of the key parties on the initial group introduction call would follow up my introduction with “yes, Boulay has a problem for every solution” and everyone would laugh away.
The thing was is that the other parties just believed that we could charge headlong and if problems arose then we would work around them later, ignore them, beg people to bend the rules whereas I wanted to identify every possible problem from the start and check if there was an alternative way before we spent a year working on something which we knew could not be done legally, technically or financially. It made me very unpopular in the group and I eventually had to sack them off because they were wasting time and money and blowing up relations with other parties by having false hopes and ignoring problems.
Every institution and company needs people who say “hang on, this won’t work”. They should actually have a specific role of “Director of No” and department of “I don’t think so” to sit at the board table with the directors of “false positivity”, department of “how to spend future bonuses on things you really want” and the “Too Scared to say no” committee.
To say anything else provides wriggle room and evasion for weak CEOs to say they were powerless to do anything about it.
What's missing is the time, energy and resource to join the dots, and the courage and backing to whistleblow.
And ignoring life advice form my parent- How would you feel if your actions were on the front page of the newspaper?
Textbook example of high-integrity quiet leadership by him, and how powerful that can be.
An excellent header, thank-you.
It is unbearable. russia has just struck the Odesa district w ballistic missiles, killing four, including a 10yo girl and injuring seven. One man lost both legs, doctors fight for his life. Ffs, the West has enough Patriots, which were produced to save people, not collect dust
https://twitter.com/OlenaHalushka/status/1778102937857765690
There is a myth that drives many change initiatives into the ground: that the organization needs to change because it is broken. The reality is that any social system (including an organization or a country or a family) is the way it is because the people in that system (at least those individuals and factions with the most leverage) want it that way. In that sense, on the whole, on balance, the system is working fine, even though it may appear to be “dysfunctional” in some respects to some members and outside observers, and even though it faces danger just over the horizon. As our colleague Jeff Lawrence poignantly says, “There is no such thing as a dysfunctional organization, because every organization is perfectly aligned to achieve the results it currently gets.”
Most of those affected do not have good lives at the moment, whereas all of the senior people involved appear to be living somewhat comfortably on very large pensions, and even a few months inside won’t particularly change their lifestyle afterwards.
https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak-and-tory-mps-at-risk-of-election-wipe-out-could-keep-seats-over-voter-id-confusion-poll-suggests-13112590
Private companies can fail - but public institutions have to be able to survive sub-optimal changes in leadership.
I'm guessing that’s the case given the amount of coverage the story has had on R4 this morning and Nick Robinson’s excitement.
Bonus points if he can set aside political rivalries, and brings Starmer and Johnson into the programme as well.
And then a sane approach to voter id sorted out for the next election - it shouldn't be easier for me to vote via post than for my wife to vote in person...
The Germans are heading for a severe recession, the Americans are more interested in Israel and on domestic spending in an election year, Eastern European countries are more concerned about supporting the Ukranian refugees and have already given much in military aid given their own position, and the Baltics and Finland are concentrating on their own threat from the angry bear.
Hell, I wouldn’t even mind if Sunak teams up with Macron, that’s how bad the situation is now. Let them announce a new Concorde project, getting everyone together from both countries to quickly get new production lines of Ukranian weapons running.
One reason? "It was THEM, officer".
“Police Scotland inherited an ageing estate with many buildings not fit for modern policing and we are working hard to provide our people with appropriate working conditions.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce7r17w89x0o
Not that I can throw any stones - Notts police are in Special Measures.
The responses by age group show why the Tories introduced this measure: 27% of 18-24 year olds were unaware of the voter ID requirement (and of course they're the least likely to have ID), vs 6% of the over-65s.
It's little games like this that could save the party from wipeout.
It is the stunning lack of curiosity and reluctance to glance under the bonnet even when some rather odd noises were being emitted which frankly makes you wonder whether this was indeed gross neglect or wilful blindness.
From the Best for Britain site:-
The massive Best for Britain MRP poll of more than 15,000 people undertaken by Survation found that 16% of respondents don’t know about new voter ID rules suggesting that around 5 million voters could be turned away when they try to cast their vote in the upcoming local and General Elections with 1.85 million in marginal and ultra marginal seats.
https://www.bestforbritain.org/5_million_to_be_disenfranchised_voter_id_rules
Lab activist pointing out that we (town of 50k) lost our police station because of the Ashfield Independents.
I gently point out that at the time Labour were in control of the District Council, and the County Council, and the Police and Crime Commissioner, and had been for some time before.
(This being before Ashfield Labour reduced themselves from 22 councillors to 1 councillor in a short period of time.)
Lab Local Council candidate comes back with County Councils and PCCs have no power or influence, the police do it all themselves and it is all due to Govt funding cuts anyway.
That's only about 1/4 true, in the context. We have a Govt of Salami Slicers, but Councillors and PCCs do have influence and are key stakeholders in inputting to police priorities.
But I'm not sure if the point should be being made by a Lab Council candidate about 16 days before Labour are about 95% certain to get their man in as the new PCC.
Happy days are yours and mine
There are none so blind as those who do not wish to see.
South Korean airlines had a culture problem with juniors not challenging the senior pilots actions.
We’ve see the Boeing approach to problems made known from below.
NASA killed two Space Shuttles of astronauts in this way.
Building a work culture that doesn’t have this issue is hard. It requires commitment and training. And above all, leadership.
It reminded me that, like Alan Bates, back around 2002/2003 I too sent an email personally to Allan Leighton. It was not about the Post Office but about his role as a director at Leeds United, then on the verge of bankruptcy. I actually did receive a reply, unlike Alan Bates. I guess this shows, again, how the plight of the sub-postmasters was of no interest to the likes of Leighton.
I suspect that, as well as new Western production, a concerted effort looking around Africa and South America, possibly using unconventional procurement techniques, could also uncover a fair amount of weapons and ammunition. There’s also a lot of neutral states in the Middle East who rely on NATO countries for their procurement, who might be persuaded to quietly hand over some ammo now, in exchange for its gradual replacement over time. Something similar might work with India, with the added stick of threats of sanctions on their black market oil business.
I suggest you find some gloss magazine interviews with some Big Cheese(s) a couple of years downstream from the Big Scandal.
In a spread, which often contains shots of nice country house in summer, Our Victim explains how he/she was Victimised. Despite being a super achiever, somehow they got saddled with the responsibility they were legally responsible for.
It was a hard time. Maybe even a stay at the posh end of Priory Chain. But he/she found another 6 figure job, where he/she is Doing Good Work for The Public Benefit.
In every such story, what is missing?
Checking the numbers I can find, last time awareness was about the same at 87%.
And only "at least 0.25%" of people trying to vote at polling stations were turned away for lack of ID.
The actual number disenfranchised would be lowered, due to whatever the numbers were voting by post, as well as potentially increased for the reasons quoted by the EC.
Plus it says 'bring ID' on my polling card.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/research-reports-and-data/our-reports-and-data-past-elections-and-referendums/voter-id-may-2023-local-elections-england-interim-analysis
I think voter ID could negatively affect turnout in the locals and mayorals, though.
This means a demonstrated instinct to cover up issues that involve people at your level or above.
So anyone appointing you knows that you are providing a defensive barrier in that area. For the appointer….
Outside London, does everybody have a bus pass now?
And that's not surprising, given the head-on-a-spike treatment given to those who come off on the wrong side of a scandal. Aggressive cover-ups are just playing the odds rationally.
Deep down, we all know (I think) that an approach to management that is humbler and more honest would be better. Accepting that mistakes happen and the important thing is to find and fix them quickly. Less reputation management, more like aviation.
What we don't know is how to get there from here.
Plus a lot of those people will have only been working at the PO for a short period, and there is therefore no "very large pension" specific to the PO period.
Looking for what incentives motivated those who behaved appallingly, it may have simply been the threat of having to lose and even pay back the bonuses that were paying for school fees and a second holiday every year.