Heads should roll at The Post Office

[Thaihawk]

Vennells falling on her sword?

This on the BBC this evening,

Post office scandal: Ex-boss quits director role after convictions quashed - BBC News

Update,

Vennells is history at Morrisons as as well,

Post office scandal: Ex-boss quits director jobs after scandal - BBC News

[Sallyann1234]

A bit late isn't it? This has been known about for years.
Having left the P.O. job she should have spoken out on behalf of the victims.

[Thaihawk]

If anything she should be prosecuted for her role in this scandal, as should others.

Being this is Britain, no doubt the establishment will close ranks. Remember, any compensation paid out is likely to be from the taxpayer, those responsible will not lose a penny personally.

[Krystal n chips]

OK, it's a long read, and the font is a bit small....but.....as ever with the "Eye ", makes for compelling reading....also suggests she was far from alone...

justice-lost-in-the-post.pdf (private-eye.co.uk)

[Mr Optimistic]

Well it does say,
`Obstructor-in-chief was Paula Vennells CBE, Post Office chief executive`
There will be an absolute flood of litigation...what damages does pushing someone to suicide warrant?
At least her life will now be turned upside down as she gets drawn into the defence legal process and years of it at that.
Jeez, the never ending collision between the British class structure and competent management.

[jolihokistix]

What's that muffled rolling noise?

[Torquetalk]

Originally Posted by BDAttitude

Astonished that I would only learn of it today - from a pilots forum

Private Eye and the BBC (Radio 4) have been giving coverage to investigative journalism on this for some years. Where were the rest of the media?

Originally Posted by BDAttitude

Also the human factor of not questioning all that accusation brought towards characters that would be of unquestionable reputation otherwise.

Exactly. It makes no sense that people of otherwise good character, in droves, became people of poor character.

What does make sense though, is that faced with a problem; the logic and means available to Post Office managers and executives would be to deal with the individual and not the problem; every time, even though they must have and did know that something was terribly wrong. And to continue then to make those near-at-hand decisions over and over, defensively, until they were in so deep that they had to try and crush it legally,

Thank goodness that the truth has come out and I hope there is a great big legal stick to thwack about the ahead of the complete shits at the PO, past and present.

[dastocks]

Originally Posted by Torquetalk

Ah yes, Cole Burner. Good spot. Took us on a bit of detour there.

Still, I suspect that the kind of corporate mentality involved may nevertheless be similar in both companies...

I spent a few months working at Royal Mail a few years ago. They were a client of my then employer, an IT consultancy. There was the odd trace of ex-public-sector in the culture but it was nothing like what is described at the Post Office in this excellent Private-Eye podcast, or in the various written articles I've seen elsewhere:
https://www.private-eye.co.uk/rss/it...ge_94_ep49.mp3

Obviously I only saw a couple of relatively small corners of a huge organisation but I found Royal Mail Group to be one of the more enjoyable clients to work with.

[Ancient Observer]

Surely crimes have been committed, as detailed in that Private Eye case history.

I do not know who pursues crimes such as this, aren't the City of London police supposed to follow up on Financial crime?

That ex-CEO should be put in prison, along with some of her colleagues.

[flash8]

That ex-CEO should be put in prison, along with some of her colleagues.

Instead she will quietly retire with Millions in bonuses. Oh, the British way.

[Torquetalk]

Originally Posted by flash8

Instead she will quietly retire with Millions in bonuses. Oh, the British way.

Like the UK needs lectures in anti-totalitarian, anti-corruption and accountability from an ex-pat Russophile 🙄

[Sallyann1234]

Originally Posted by flash8

Instead she will quietly retire with Millions in bonuses. Oh, the British way.

Perhaps you could send someone to leave a present on her doorknob. Oh, the Russian way.

[alanjpraha]

Desperately sad reading, but not at all unique or unexpected. I'm reminded of why I left Britain, finally and for good, 20 years ago. A divided, class-ridden and corrupt society; it will never succeed. I took the Eye for many years, but gave up in the end; it was too depressing. Week after week, from local counsellor to prime minister, not just lying and corrupt but screwing peoples' lives out of sight, killing decent and honest people - and always getting away with it. What is wrong with the British people, that there hasn't been a bloody revolution? TV and circuses?

[Nige321]

Originally Posted by alanjpraha

Desperately sad reading, but not at all unique or unexpected. I'm reminded of why I left Britain, finally and for good, 20 years ago. A divided, class-ridden and corrupt society; it will never succeed. I took the Eye for many years, but gave up in the end; it was too depressing. Week after week, from local counsellor to prime minister, not just lying and corrupt but screwing peoples' lives out of sight, killing decent and honest people - and always getting away with it. What is wrong with the British people, that there hasn't been a bloody revolution? TV and circuses?

Christ I'll bet you're fun at parties.
I'm quite glad you've gone...

[occasional]

Originally Posted by Mr Optimistic

Jeez, the never ending collision between the British class structure and competent management.

In reality, I get the impression that British management competence has declined in line with increasing meritocracy.

[Torquetalk]

Originally Posted by occasional

In reality, I get the impression that British management competence has declined in line with increasing meritocracy.

Are you under the illusion that Britain has become more meritocratic? I appreciate that that is the prevailing narrative we are sold and told is a good thing; but it isn’t borne out by social research.

As a simple veracity check:-

Who is running the country and what are their backgrounds?
Who were the senior managers at the PO and what is/was their background?
Who are the obscenely remunerated heads of many of the UK’s top companies and what are their backgrounds?

Meritocracy UK PLC? Nah. Social mobility has been on the wane since the 80’s in the UK. But that is only just starting to be recognized. If you are a boomer, maybe you have enjoyed a different period of UK social change.

And as the great Michael Young argued; a true meritocracy may produce a very ugly society.

[Krystal n chips]

Originally Posted by Torquetalk

Are you under the illusion that Britain has become more meritocratic? I appreciate that that is the prevailing narrative we are sold and told is a good thing; but it isn’t borne out by social research.

As a simple veracity check:-

Who is running the country and what are their backgrounds?
Who were the senior managers at the PO and what is/was their background?
Who are the obscenely remunerated heads of many of the UK’s top companies and what are their backgrounds?

Meritocracy UK PLC? Nah. Social mobility has been on the wane since the 80’s in the UK. But that is only just starting to be recognized. If you are a boomer, maybe you have enjoyed a different period of UK social change.

And as the great Michael Young argued; a true meritocracy may produce a very ugly society.

Meritocracy and the UK is a true oxymoron. Social mobility is another sound bite mantra. The UK remains a bastion of class segregation and always will be. The more obvious divides from past eras may have been diffused so they have become less blatant, but, they still remain. Here's a classical example from Cornwall.

‘Real thuggery’: Cornwall boats vandalised amid ‘incomer’ tensions | Cornwall | The Guardian

[stevef]

I remember a few years ago that there'd been some aggressive spray-painted vandalism in Newquay to the effect that 'grockles' (holidaymakers) weren't welcome. A strange attitude, seeing as tourism plays a large part (excluding pandemics) in keeping the local economy. buoyant.

[Trinity 09L]

Originally Posted by Ancient Observer

Surely crimes have been committed, as detailed in that Private Eye case history.

I do not know who pursues crimes such as this, aren't the City of London police supposed to follow up on Financial crime?

That ex-CEO should be put in prison, along with some of her colleagues.

This injustice would be national investigation, covering all the UK. City of London do investigate financial crime, however it could be the Met with larger resources, as it is more to do with the process of the investigations, legal decisions, and evidence etc. Unfortunately the PO had its own authority to prosecute, other than through the CPS.

[flash8]

Like the UK needs lectures in anti-totalitarian, anti-corruption and accountability from an ex-pat Russophile 🙄

Torque, you may have a point there )

Perhaps you could send someone to leave a present on her doorknob. Oh, the Russian way.

SA, I don't advocate such methods, but I do feel for those trampled under her and the Post offices/Fujitsu senior management feet, they behaved despicably (and possibly criminally) and not bringing them to justice is another kick in the teeth to those affected, the "little people" mean nothing it seems. She does remind me of Leona Helmsley come to think of it.