LIVE: Post Office scandal: Former boss gives evidence

The inquiry will hear evidence from Tim Parker, former chair of Post Office Ltd.
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[@carlosgravy7966]

The post office thought they had a bunch of crooks in the branches, but it turns out all the criminals were in the head office.

[@JobeFamilys]

Totally agree!

[@PiperStart]

He remembered the lunch, but not much else.

[@michaelmcginley7930]

Public school that privaleged but thick

[@jc238]

This is a guy who was paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to work a day and a half a week while hardworking sub postmasters were being sent to prison for stealing a few thousand, that they didn't even steal.

[@cooperization]

£75k per year and gave it to charity.Get your facts right.

[@PiperStart]

So, if he gave his stipend to charity, was he actually just filling in time at the Post Office, not really developing 'skin in the game'.

[@peteredwards3592]

Look at my hair, doesn't it make me look special and important. What a clown.

[@derekibison6644]

Johnson 2.0

[@helenjob]

Actually it does look like a clown haircut....

[@timgledhill765]

Was it a wig

[@helenjob]

Oh dear... we're descending to their level.....oh no we're not! It is a bit of a pantomime.

[@derekibison6644]

@@helenjob Yes but who’s laughing?

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@Coolcmsc]

It’s commonplace and nothing new.

[@MRJERRYCURTIN]

Clever man Alexander

[@helenjob]

Brilliant and still true....

[@Frazpas]

Really? You cannot remember if your ceo was accused of being incompetent 🙄

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@gregjarvis3288]

He could only work 1 and a half days because he was booked the rest of the time as a kiddies party clown....but he cannot recall that!

[@Mike_5]

Nice comment 🙃

[@andymcnaughton2100]

The arrogance is masking the incompetence!

[@maxb9369]

As often seen in management

[@jeffstclair9221]

All these people seem to be lazy or incompetent or both . Meanwhile drawing down (by most people standards) whacking great salaries from the public purse .. mind boggling ..

[@jeremygaleRVM]

Good to hear that all of the Sub postmasters and Sub Post Mistresses who were wrongly convicted and the ones who committed suicide left an "unsatisfactory tinge" on this man's tenure. What a brilliant Chairman he must have been; he cannot even remember what he did 4 years ago!

[@JaneDoe-bo9tz]

Shocking isn’t it, cloth ears. Every picture tells a story and this is a tome

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@mariaevans7894]

Can I make a comment on that !!!!!! What the f ... is he there for? I really can't make head or tail of all these CEOs .... they're as bad as each other. We know now why we're all in the state we're in !! Incompetence just doesn't cover it. Biden, you're doing well 😢😢😢😢

[@chrisfell5073]

He had no function, no responsibility. Not really bothered. Jobs for the boys guy!

[@johnsymons6862]

Another one with memory problems! Bet he remembers when he gets paid.

[@chrislambert9435]

Yes Johnny, this is the thing, "We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@GeoffreyFairfax]

R

[@harveystork5862]

No wonder he can't remember bugger all, he was hardly ever there. Can't even remember his way to the hairdresser's.

[@jonathanprice3362]

What a complete muppet…!

[@kennethscott4190]

Amnesia seems to have taken root in every managment member at the post office. Lock them all up give the keys to the subpostmasters, then see if they can remember where they put them in twenty years time. Then have a two year inquiry as to where they are.

[@davidallan5671]

He states he had no experience with IT, no relevant commercial experience, he wasn’t a lawyer. When he was hired, po had an existential crisis relating to IT, so why was he hired by PO and why did he accept the job he states he wasn’t qualified for.

[@chrislambert9435]

Yes David, Iam not a Farmer or a VET but I know that a brown Cow eats green grass and then produces white milk, because I enjoy that white milk. This Tim Parker does not need to be an IT expert to know if its working correctly Etc Etc

[@lesleyshepherd149]

Government appointment - as stated at the beginning of the evidence.

[@jeremygaleRVM]

It must be nice to live in your own little world(!)

[@danielmckinlay2833]

He appears very woolly headed to me!

[@patrickpearson5632]

🤣

[@sarahkirley7199]

😂 It looks like a really bad wig. His performance matched the hairdo.

[@martinhaywood8040]

How can such a supposed high powered business leader continually say “I can’t recall” ……..

[@alanashdown2527]

@@martinhaywood8040 because he's a parrot.

[@ukvoyager66]

This incompetent "chairman" lied when he answered the first question...how can you not remember such a significant thing as being told that your CEO (the person running the company in effect) their position was under review????....hes obviously gets blessed by Vennels every morning...the whole of the company probably knew ..except the chairman...I would say if beggars belief, but having watched a fair bit of the enquiry, absolutely nothing should surprise me..the post office management hierarchy is/was arguably the most incompetent and corrupt set of people in British Industry history🧐

[@michaelgriffiths5723]

Why is there still a class of unaccountable people in this country?

[@TheDaftySage]

Because the people are too weak, incompetent, servile and stupid to rid themselves of the evil that is the English monarch.

[@markevans2427]

blame 14 years of tory rule

[@michaelgriffiths5723]

@markevans2427 That's one thing I can not blame them for. It's always been the same, even under a Labour government

[@paulrichards6894]

Did he make his fortune as a Liberace tribute act??

[@dianewilliams8629]

😂

[@alanashdown2527]

At least Liberace was good at something, whereas this guy is bad at everything.

[@Keaneayles]

His memory is lacking to avoid giving answers which could put him in a bad light.

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@achitophel5852]

Sometimes silence is deafening.

[@harjitkalsi6847]

They all seem to suffer from memory loss and left there positions knowing full well they wronged post masters

[@TheDaftySage]

That is what generations of inbreeding within the aristocracy results in.

[@petersaupe7455]

Having watched all of the inquiry on various steaming mediums.I cannot find were it has been stated that to be employed at a high level in the PO you have to have very short memory and it would appear you also need to be blind to the obvious and be prepared to cover up wrong doing.

[@alanbell2156]

Beer is giving this guy far too much leeway.

[@helenjob]

Mr Beer manages to uncover what these people are really like. Enough rope.....

[@belchnasty]

No wonder the country is in such a mess if this is an example of the upper echelons of management!

[@billsellwood3280]

The Chairs & CEOs of these companies have not distinguished themselves. From Vennels, the Good Christian more interested in retribution than finding the truth, to Tim Parker whose initial assessment of Post Office Ltd, that it was complex, it faced unprecedented stresses and was failing, and yet still defended having several other CEO jobs when POL obviously needed full time TLC. Then the Chair/CEO of Fujitsu, whose "door was always open to people with problems" but couldn't get off his backside to see his employees in the basement interfering with postmasters' accounts with no problems at all. All highly paid and all deeply unimpressive.

[@johnclarke-vs9qe]

Claimed he couldn't devote more time to the Horizon issue due to other Post Office issues. He was "working" 1.5 days a week at that time, he then revealed he asked to go to 2 days a month???????

[@shinywarm6906]

Yep. The lawyer for Mrs Hamilton( Miss Patrick) nailed the entitlement and complacency of this guy when she demonstrated the consequence of his part time attitude.

[@johnsteadman1820]

Money money money in a rich man’s world 😂😂😂😂😂

[@wundawheels1152]

Parker is a total disgrace

[@bernieflynn4803]

What else was his executive team keeping from him? What joke this guy is ?

[@oldnbold8766]

Just when I thought that they couldn't get a more incompetent witness then Tim Parker turns up. He has to be the most arrogant man I've ever seen. He opens his mouth and lies.

[@ethel246]

Permanent smirk

[@andrewandjoanhart7882]

Another Boris Johnson with a perm

[@seanmoyses]

More amnesia from these slimy creatures

[@petersullivan2837]

How convenient, every witness can either not recall or don’t remember, or,,it wasn’t me it was somebody else

[@juliejones-iy1tw]

looks like he needs medical assistance for dementia, would you trust anything with a memory like that, more lies

[@paulrichards6894]

he remembered everything that didn't put him in a bad light

[@davidallan5671]

Don’t execs in these elevated positions have assistants taking contemporaneous notes to protect them in the work environment . Surely they should have these notes to refer to in legal situations and not have to rely on memory

[@johnsteadman1820]

I could run the company better than this

[@jackieadam4499]

At this point I think a chimpanzee could run the post office better than these clowns

[@neilg6675]

"Theres alot to do as chairman of the post office, not just this." "You worked 1.5 days a week and later 2 days a month." Lol.

[@ChristopherWhitehead-mv3jy]

The appalling arrogance of this idiot is palpable. How did these ghastly people get their jobs in the first place. His disgusting comments re the postmasters and mistresses and his snooty lack of understanding of how the post office was operated and run, certainly did not make him suitable or appropriate for the job. A shameful failure and yet another embarrassment to the country. I am sending this from Australia. I am 80 years old. I am following this enquiry with great interest. It is always good to view proceedings such as this from afar and so far I have seen an honourable gentleman, Mr Beer KC , Sir Win Williams , the various legal experts and lawyers and sadly, the postmasters and postmistresses whose lives were so sadly destroyed by this tragedy. Therefore, I can only say that the system and the entire government of Britain needs to be restored to the people and their dignity. I can only hope that the elections will clean out the damage that the Conservatives has done and rebuild the once great nation, where my great grandparents emigrated from. I watch from afar.😊

[@michaelmcginley7930]

Need a revolution to hold these criminals to account

[@pamphillips4055]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. The arrogance of this individual is staggering beyond belief. He seems to think that he is so smart but Sir WYN is not a fool.

[@mikeellis4345]

Terrible witness .. full of himself and a lot of gibbering babblings. A part time casual attendee at best is all he was.

[@ianforeman4377]

Another criminal on the loose. PRISON. NOW !

[@MarkEastwood-ft6it]

Hugely incompetent. I think nothing of his supposed experience

[@JeanRinger]

Having people like him this world will never change just get worse

[@ethel246]

He thinks it’s a joke!

[@helenjob]

After seeing this terrible and debilitating outbreak of rich folks selective amnesia, it might become an 'ism' with special hospitals to treat it. Oh yes, that's prison, isnt it? That should sharpen the memory. What's good for the little people should be equally good for the rich, corrupt, influential ones.

[@fedos]

The Post Office executives really liked the word "robust".

[@ethel246]

How many times did he say hindsight and start with so?

[@davidallan5671]

He put in a statement the reliability of the audit but when beer asked him he hadn’t seen the suit report. How could he be a competent chair, when he didn’t see an audit that he was relying on.

[@davidallan5671]

If you’re a chair , shouldn’t you have foresight in regards to your job requirements. Anyone can figure this out with hindsight. Also most retail businesses dealt in cash back in oughts. PO wasn’t singular in dealing in cash

[@carolynkimbrey1423]

This is a 'no comment' interview. He has no awareness or shame....no memory is a separate thing....😢

[@chris-vn6sw]

Will he have his head shaved whilst in prison 🤔

[@evanofelipe]

That any innocent person should find themselves wrongly imprisoned due to the incompetence and corrupt practices of the Post Office, with the knowledge and at the behest of senior Management is utterly disgraceful. And when these dishonest characters are called to account, even under oath they claim they either can’t remember or deliberately fail to recall what part they actually played in the biggest ever case of criminal Injustice in British history. Here we such a character, slouched in the witness chair and so full of his own importance, who claims to have 30 years of experience of ‘dealing with CEO’s, then claims to have delegated this responsibility for others to report back to him. It’s a gross failure to properly manage affairs relating to PO prosecutions, but then he goes on to lecture us on how clever he is. He’s entirely without contrition and even takes pain to argue that apologising, is in his view is pointless and leaves that for others to do.

[@chrisgreenhalgh7827]

Very interesting to see the change in his demeanor when questioned by Mr Steen...the mask slipped.

[@pithywriter]

When was that? I want to see it

[@CalvinMayes-zv5di]

“ The honest answer is I cawn’t recall….”

[@guymorgan1624]

This is what happens when the lawyers and those in charge would rather hide the truth, follow advice to try and litigate there way out of telling the truth . "The business" is far more important than either the lives of the people whose lives they are destroying and up holding honesty and the truth. The only thing that is very apparent are the lies being told. It's a shocker.

[@bernieflynn4803]

Was "always wel briefed..." except about Horizon. Wonder what else he was missing?

[@chrisjones6804]

Is he wearing his hair like that for a bet?

[@chrislambert9435]

He would have been Ginger when He was younger

[@johncoetsee7730]

at least we know now ..... only2 people or so were responsible for the calamitous miscarriage of justice in UK history, that has gone over 14 years prejudicing thousands of people. What a relief to know that this did not evolve more than 3 people ! (REALLY ??)

[@chrislambert9435]

Whenever He is given an option to choose from He chooses an option which is favourable to him-self and the way in which He wants to present Him-self See Minute 4:21:45

[@anthonyanderson2622]

Another convenient case of Amnesia.

[@AllanRaymond-ku8gl]

What I find disturbing is that he said had a lot of other things to deal with in the Post Office other than the Horizon thorn in the side and not having his full attention, but despite that he still had two other jobs at the same time as chairman and only spent one and half days on Post business and even wanted this time to be reduced.

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@johnenglish929]

He makes Perkins look like Memory Woman ! I do wish Henry, Stein and that forensic Scottish lady could cross examine these people in a court of law rather than just having to accept their claims of memory loss as a given in the more sedate setting of an inquiry.

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@geoffreyhattersley9186]

I wonder what type of wool was used to knit his hair!!!?

[@chrisfell5073]

It shows that you it is a full time job not part time. His hours were about 10 hours a week 25% of norm. He was there to rubber stamp everythingř.

[@baztheman909]

So they use an army of solicitors, QC's (at the time) with Lord this and Lord that involved and this utter turnip never thought once to ask what legal professional privilege meant. He kept the Swift report from the board. Clearly never applied his mind to anything of most importance. Perhaps spending more time and actually thinking about matters may have assisted.

[@dadangus100]

Im a very competent CEO I didnt need to be briefed taking up the job a luncheon chat was fine as I get across issues very fast and I needed to get my bouffant hair trimmed as I like looking in the barber's mirror

[@Nuevueproducts]

Why do these people remember nothing and get paid a fortune? Such an arrogant, privileged person who h never worked his way up in any business. More and more untruths (being kind here).

[@norwichnorfolk1584]

What a brain he has? It doesn’t hold anything so default to I don’t recall just like all the others…. how do people him get a top job? and paid so much money that’s stealing in my head…

[@robinwalton-gm5ms]

Typical Kwik Fit exhaust mechanic. Better he disappears up his own exhaust pipe.

[@alexanderv7702]

He suffers from amnesia: give the poor fellow a break (sic)😮

[@user-nx9or9do8q]

He needs a new wig 😂😂

[@chrislambert9435]

The issues that this guy dealt with, in His world were like a/ the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in WWI or the attack on Pearl Harbour in WWII, but he cant remember ! ! See minute 5:9:30

[@philgillmartin5053]

He's living under a cloud of is own head

[@intheframemedia]

amazing how you can be ceo for 30 years with such a poor memory. maybe he can do some memory excersizes in prison

[@lyntedrockley7295]

Notice how he speaks so slowly, always framing his responses as 'being helpful' to the inquiry, the 'Don't shoot me, I'm on your side' tactic. Then he takes control of the conversation pretending to explain what being a CEO is and the dilemma of 'how much should I trust the advice I'm given?, Don't blame me then!' Oh and wasting time while he's at it. He is a joke in every sense. How someone working one and half days a week gets to make a decision as important as NOT disclosing the report (any of the ONLY six copies of it) is beyond me. This is a stitch up.

[@mikewillis8755]

If I can speak and waffle on at length I might be able to deflect any blame He talks as though he is an observer rather than being involved you can see right through him and another who can’t recall m important issues Not as clever as he thinks he is

[@kevin4havis]

I decided to paint my lounge and watch the paint dry, rather than listen to him loving his own voice going on and on.😢

[@Penguinracer]

The legal privilege applies to the relationship between counsel & the client (the Post Office), meaning that the Swift Report could legitimately be shared with the PO Board & PO executive management who could be considered part of "the controlling mind" of the company. Counsel were negligent in not explaining the meaning, consequences & impact of client/ solicitor privilege and Parker was negligent in not asking any questions if he did not understand what counsel were saying. Bear in mind, privilege can be waived...it's not generally in a client's interests to do so, but they have the right to waive it if they wish.

[@Ground53]

He should go on trial for that haircut alone

[@helenjob]

Ha! An ex of mine was a police officer. On the beat with a colleague one night in Warrington they broke up an altercation between youths. Putting one in the van the youth asked why he was being arrested. For having a ridiculous haircut came the answer. If only tim Parker could feel the force of the law....

[@TheDaftySage]

Let him have his hair, he will have to lose it when he goes to prison.

[@LadyOaksNZ]

That WIG 😂

[@johnlowe-tq6ey]

He's had serious advice from his lawyer....no comment....no comment

[@kathykay9920]

Liar

[@Mike_5]

Tim Parker seems very relaxed about the whole issue but maybe if real life was to suddenly hit him and carry out an in depth investigation of his finances and where he acquired all his assets from it might be the shock to the system he so deeply needs

[@robinblick9375]

Here we go again 'I've no idea'...'I don't recall.'

[@hughbaker4997]

Why can't this smug cxxt answer with a yes or a no instead of mmm.

[@nigelcook1918]

No wonder there were so many failings with this incompetent in charge

[@chrisfell5073]

I cannot understand how the Coyne report was hidden from 2003. I its not just prosecutions its losses that had to be repaid

[@JeanRinger]

He thinks he deserves his salary for working 1half days a month he had to get out of bed to go to work ohhhh dearrrrrrr. What a shame it took him 3 half weeks to do his hair before he could go to do 1 half days at work ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@bernardconnell3330]

30 pieces of silver, through out

[@andrewbaldock2707]

And I have a lousy memory 😢

[@leso204]

After following the horizon saga for many-many months' from a laymans point of view this started as a run away train with denial & ended up an off the rails train wreck ........

[@chrisfell5073]

I do wonder how these people operate one and a half days a week? He cant remember because he didn't do anything? He was agreeing decisions based 2nd, 3rd or 4th hand info. He also wanted to cut that to two days a month!

[@stanmcintosh8037]

This sad person is the best of them all,l just don't remember, jail would have him to recall

[@0x0oxo]

What a bluffer, projecting himself as unconventional looking at matters from a new perspective. I believe he spent more time in the bathroom working on his Lionel Blair quiff .....

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@dianewilliams8629]

😂

[@victorgrainger895]

What on earth has he got on his head ??

[@drron689]

A relative of Shawn the Sheep

[@sternaalbifrons9025]

​@@achat-w3vlol.

[@mariaevans7894]

A haircut really ...... that's a statement in itself

[@dianewilliams8629]

@@drron689😂

[@achitophel5852]

Kafka meets Orwell at last. But neither of them could have made this up. I wonder how many similarities there are with other major institutions in the country and elsewhere, Boeing for example?

[@JaneDoe-bo9tz]

Damn right he would remember what utter BS

[@chrislambert9435]

"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[@pithywriter]

What does this guy do now (and since PO)?

[@paulrchapman1]

Do you feel in any way culpable, guilty even, when tracing your involvement in events which caused so much grief and tragedy? If so, what do you think your punishment should be?