The Post Office Scandal | Have I Got News For You | Hat Trick Comedy

[@johnrowland3105]

Hislop deserves a lot of praise for his role in helping to keep the pressure on those who should or did know the truth and denied everything for a decade or more

[@lynnewilliams3859]

A KNIGHTHOOD FOR IAN HISLOP

[@peterroberts1132]

In a world where the line between truth and falsehoods are becoming more blurred, we need people like Ian Hislop and the team at Private Eye to be able to call out corruption, sleaze and hold the powers that be to account. It gets over used but he is absolutely a national treasure

[@arthurpewtey]

@@peterroberts1132 Agreed. Private Eye has got one or two things wrong over the years (e.g. MMR - nobody's perfect) but in the VAST majority of cases they've got their teeth into, they've been proved to be 100% correct. Hislop haters (of whom there are surprisingly many - I often wonder what they've got to hide?) really irritate me for that reason alone.

[@AndyFletcherX31]

Private Eye certainly kept the Horizon story in the public attention but the real thanks should be to Computer Weekly who originally brought it to light and kept digging for evidence for several years.

[@kddidit08]

​@@AndyFletcherX31 ...as Hislop points out.

[@StephenB-c9b]

I liked Paul Merton stating how big a role private eye and by virtue Ian had in keeping this issue alive.

[@andydudley1775]

i like how he did not take all the honor and mentioned others.

[@arwelp]

As someone who worked in IT from 1979 to 2002, the very idea that someone could sit in the witness chair and tell the enquiry, as I saw someone do some months ago, “there are no bugs in the system” simply made me fall off my chair in astonishment. There are NO computer systems of any non-trivial size that don’t have any bugs, only bugs that haven’t been discovered or fixed yet. Apparently there’s now a legal standard that computer-produced evidence is automatically accepted as correct in a court case unless proven otherwise - this is total madness that could only have been thought up by lawyers and politicians.

[@ChrisWalker-fq7kf]

Exactly. I was astonished when I heard that too. I think this is why there were so many successful prosecutions. A sane approach would be to NOT prosecute someone solely on the evidence from a complex, bespoke and inevitably buggy piece of software but to require other supporting evidence e.g. large sums of cash hidden away, large transfers of cash to back accounts or sudden extravagant spending. Did it not concern anyone that these things were never found? If people had really stolen all this money what were they doing with it?

[@JohnImrie]

@@ChrisWalker-fq7kf The problem is that legally it's accepted as true and if you suspect a bug you are the one who has to prove it, usually without access to the system or the source code.

[@ChrisWalker-fq7kf]

@@JohnImrie I understand that. That's why I'm saying that this should not be so. The law needs to be changed. But also we need to consider that the Post Office prosecutors were well aware they were making use of the way the law worked here to get prosecutions that relied on nothing but computer evidence, from a system they knew had bugs. I find it hard to understand how anyone could act in that way. What kind of people are they?

[@diane4488]

​@@ChrisWalker-fq7kf Selfish, ignorant, evil people, with zero integrity. That's who/what.

[@userxyz64]

​@@ChrisWalker-fq7kfnot sure the prosecutors knew the system had bugs. As I remember, they were told the system was fine and they accepted that.

[@Dav1Gv]

Sir Wyn Williams is brilliant, his questions cut right to the point and he started at a grammar school in a South Welsh valley - a truly remarkable man,

[@c-9233]

[just for clarity] At the end of that clip with Sir Wyn when he says "that's enough now", he was not talking to Paula Vennells then, but to the public gallery. The reaction on the above clip is from the HIGNFY studio audience. The public gallery was a similar reaction (for a well timed and brilliantly simple question) but a bit restrained, although enough for Sir Wyn to remark.

[@jonnyhifi]

@@c-9233I hadn’t picked up on that. When watching the original live inquiry video I hadn’t noticed Sir wyn putting vennels down like this implied. That’s a really cheap laugh for the tv programme through editing which saddens me for such a serious mattter. Sir wynn’s few questions have always been polite in the extreme but show razor sharp clarity and insight, just as Mr. Beer, which makes them all the more impressive.

[@markjefferies5096]

Are you surprised by this? Is the implication that only white men from the elite public schools are capable of such illustrious careers. If you do some research you’ll find that the grammar schools of south Wales ( as those across the UK) have produced thousands of brilliant people in the law, academia, etc etc.

[@johnenglish929]

⁠@@jonnyhifiJonny, I don’t think there was any editing. When I watched it live, I was a bit taken aback by his supplementary question, as was Vennels, because it was short, to the point and out of keeping with his usual questioning style. The reaction of the studio audience was similar to that from the public gallery at the inquiry.

[@c-9233]

@@johnenglish929 Yes, for sure. (I was in the public gallery). The HIGNFY edit makes it look like Sir Wyn was talking to Paula Vennells though, and that just isn't his style. He was duty bound to rein in the public gallery if there was any audible reaction, and he did. This is of particular relevance when Sam Stein KC was questioning Paula Vennells and there was a very slight spontaneous reaction from the public gallery. Paula Vennells looked to Sir Wyn to reprimand the public gallery, but none was forthcoming. She was alone in her distress and started to 'cry'. It's worth seeing more of the clip for context but this is one that shows this point (5mins 20 secs): kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKvdfqSVbd-YhpIsi=-u5QnxECafZETaVi&t=319

[@tenkloosterherman]

Ian Hislop is a national treasure and he should be honoured approptiately.

[@splinterbyrd]

_Private Eye_ is a publication unique in the western world. I really don't know of any other journal which has such unending integrity. It's not that they're without bias of course, but when they have biases they're quite open about it and don't pretend to be anything else. It will always puzzle me that other journals can't follow their example. The _Eye_ should form their own TV station. We're grotesquely lucky to have it.

[@MatgoStyles]

Ian has been critical of the honours system so I imagine he turned them down.

[@danielh4032]

Vennells - Don’t remember what I said or did - Recall perfectly what others did that shifts the blame

[@Royboy50]

Yes I did write that email but I didn’t mean it to mean what It said ,eh

[@peterbennett5910]

She will be arrested eventually once the private prosecution start

[@MichaelBonner-m6v]

When I was in IT, four or five of us created the software used to purchase and track every drop of fuel for the Canadian government. Millions of dollars and billions of litres of fuel, with the prices changing every week with the price of oil, and calculated to four decimal points. Were there bugs? Of course, because, as everyone knows, all systems have bugs. Each bug reported by the users was tracked and fixed to their satisfaction, and in a short time we had a system that never lost a penny for the 15 years it was in use. That's what happens when you trust your users and work with them, instead of treating them like the enemy. It's not that hard.

[@diane4488]

Excellent point. It means that those running the Post Office, even in the very early days of Horizon, where not up to the job, dishonest, and cruel. Totally wrecking the lives of highly decent people, when you know there are faults, and aggressively getting rid of anyone who tells the truth, is evil. Pure and simple. On the whole, people don't seem to want to acknowledge what is evil - and therefore we have inherited the world we deserve.

[@daftphil9706]

When I was in IT, the evil clown in the gutter scared the bejesus out of me.🙃

[@guyr7351]

People forget the reason for the system in the first place, the PO suspected some postmasters of fiddling the books so wanted to see evidence of the books being manipulated. They were never coming at it from a neutral standpoint

[@robingannaway8262]

Top down management combined with the Brit class system and taxpayer's money, See also British Leyland, Norton Motorcycles and the British National Coal Board etc, etc.

[@derges]

They even prosecuted users who reported the bug in the beta test.

[@annecampbell9236]

And now Fujitsu have been given many more government contracts. WILL WE/THEY NEVER LEARN!

[@ChrisM541]

The Tories and their backhanders!

[@paullancaster7066]

...just follow the money...... You dont need to be Miss Marple to see through the $cam.

[@nvsv_wintersport]

They're probably the first company that actually did someting with the Lessons Learned reports...

[@josiahscurlock]

And the Post Office are STILL using Horizon. (Don't worry, apparently it's been "improved.")

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

​@@nvsv_wintersportso why aren't they on court over this?... They provided a faulty product that cost people their mental health, lives etc... If I lodged a repair on your car and you had a crash, then would you take your car to me again. It seems there's one law for these people, they should be in the dock along with that horrible woman.

[@gtlindley74]

I Love Ian’s Concise Observations and Paul’s Impeccable Comedic Timing.

[@quiltygal6981]

And how you can see the respect Paul has for Ian.... despite his ribbing of him 😂

[@peterdavies8077]

Hislop is a national treasure

[@PeterS-r4o]

Watched Alice Perkins at the inquiry. She seems to suffer from the same problems as Vennels. Selective memory, evasiveness, things she wrote don't mean what they appear to say, and everything is someone else's responsibility. She was chair of the board at a crucial time but saw about as much as Sergeant Schultz.

[@catherinesinclair7727]

Watched her too - came across as a conceited patronising superior prat with a wholly misplaced sense of her superiority to everyone and everything. Listening to her and watching her was a horrible experience ..a car crash. Deluded. How can someone so utterly lacking in ability and integrity and intelligence have such a high opinion of herself.

[@StimParavane]

The lawyers who school these criminals on what to say and how to say it are despicable.

[@ewaf88]

She came across as an arrogant old sow

[@steveb7653]

I have admired Ian Hislop for many years and his reporting on the post office scandal has been outstanding. Well done Ian and long may you continue to keep high ranking officials accountable.

[@Gwalion]

Hislop and Merton - couple of diamonds!

[@tezinho81]

Sir Wyn doesn't speak much but when he does, his insights are on point and he cuts right to the chase. There's a reason he was one of the top judges in the land, don't let his age and quiet demeanour fool you!

[@8ofwands300]

Can you ship him over to the U.S. Supreme Court please? 😐😐

[@3GreeneBJ]

Cute chap ain't he. Ideal for the job.

[@hayleypbop]

The post office stole from its own post masters and sent the postmasters to prison for it. It’s the biggest case of official gaslighting ever.

[@TiffanyLaVoom]

so where'd the money end up? I mean it has to be somewhere

[@hayleypbop]

@@TiffanyLaVoom well that’s a tough one because they couldn’t rely on the figures from the system 🙄

[@jackwatsonepic626]

What I would like to know is.Why haven't they been paid Compensation.🤔🇬🇧

[@effyleven]

Stealing from the postmasters, and sending them to prison, was a horrendous thing to do... but the PO managed to top it! They called their ill-gotten gains "profit" and distributed the cash amongst themselves as bonuses!! Yup! As Ian states, they really did that! These people were extraordinarily comprehensive in their ability to do wrong. And never forget, these wicked people are agents of government itself.

[@silverknight4886]

@@jackwatsonepic626 The Sub-Postmasters should have been awarded millions. If it was subsequently discovered that they had been overpaid, every person at the top of the post office command should have been accused, found guilty and jailed for theft of Post Office funds.

[@Youtube_deleted_my_favourites]

Imagine, at your place of work, some money goes missing. You get blamed. If you deny it you are threatened with court resulting in prison. Or if you admit it you just get a suspended sentence or community punishment. So to avoid prison you admit guilt. Over and done with you think. Then your company sues you for court costs because you were found guilty, you owe £350,000 in court costs. Your life ruined. This company is called the Post Office. Their logo is " whatever you need us for, we're here for you". They spent £100 million in expensive lawers to try to avoid paying £58 million in compensation. The class action saw the incorrectly convicted see £20,000 in compensation after court costs. The executive salaries were between £250,000 and £500,000. Post Office investigators were given bonuses for every Horizon conviction

[@catherinesinclair7727]

And Jane Macleod, the GC who persecuted the JFSPMs from 2015 - 2019 has buggered off back to Australia and refused to give evidence at the inquiry. Shame she ever blighted the UK with her inept and nasty presence.

[@wandelust]

Great summary Sir!

[@davestar4718]

Need to pin this

[@scotland5370]

Also many reported the losses themselves. Thieves admitting they broke into the house I think not

[@ninaleeuwangh4402]

Ah but they can’t remember anything!!! The post office the most amnesiac management ever!!!

[@lfcbpro]

As a computer scientist I can tell you, NEVER believe in technology, if anything it should be the first thing to be doubted, EVERY time.

[@silverknight4886]

I don't believe everything that is posted on KZbin! 🤣🤣🤣

[@20chocsaday]

I can remember a case (in college) where the source code looked good, it went through the tests of extremes and worked well. Good front end too. He let his little niece play with it at home and she crashed it with one keypress. Nobody expected that kind of entry. He had to rewrite the input code.

[@lfcbpro]

@@20chocsaday haha, sounds about right :P

[@russellbradley454]

Old saying GIGO garbage in garbage out

[@Sunglasses_Ron1]

Jason Beer, what a guy.

[@Nosmo90]

*googles "Jason Beer"*

[@johnenglish929]

I realised when I was watching Perkins yesterday that, if what she was claiming was true, I, a member of the public, knew more about the unwarranted prosecution of sub postmasters at the time, than did the Chair of the Post Office !

[@scotland5370]

Exactly they knew and tried to cover it up not caring about people's lives.

[@Rocky-qr1rn]

Nice one Ian.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

He's done well here but he refuses to discuss or print anything about his creepy mate nick Cohen.

[@haworthtrevor]

Loved Paul Merton's timing at the end there, praising Hislop and Private Eye then reversing it in the funniest way.

[@PSUK]

Probably the most serious I’ve ever seen Paul Merton

[@johnenglish929]

My guess is that he has been aware of this for a long time as Ian has been (commendably) messianic about it for years. Paul’s demeanour reflected the shock and disgust that most of us feel when we learn that many of the great and good (including Jack Straw’s wife - the Chair of the PO) could just sit back and let thoroughly decent, honest people got to prison knowing that this crime wave began when they introduced a new system. I do hope the likes of Vennells, Perkins and many others end up in prison them selves, but they won’t because the establishment will protect them.

[@KevinMeeds]

About time...

[@danrosie7028]

What's lovely is although Paul & Ian play the double act of being quite competitive, Paul always makes sure to give praise to hislop for contining the story in Private Eye. You can tell just how proud he is of his friend. One day these two won't be on our Televisions but I'd love for them to have a sitdown chat, just discussing life. No competition or points just a rambly chat from two friends

[@CamMcGinn1981]

This Post Office story is one of the most terrifying and horrific stories I've ever heard. Stephen King, who is a brilliant writer, has nothing on this tale. Not even his mind could come up with something so dystopian

[@DamonWalmsley]

Just wait until you see what the UK police have been up to for years! Nick Adderley is small fry compared to what others have done and are doing

[@TheLucanicLord]

I worked at Fujitsu (not on Horizon). There was a culture of suck up and kick down. That's exactly the kind of situation that leads to people not speaking out and blindly following stupid orders.

[@liliasgordon3565]

The NHS is like that too! They use NDAs to silence their critics saying it is to protect patients - aye right! 🤬🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@davidmorrison87]

Ian is a hero! 🥰

[@Davidonezero]

He’s not but get your point

[@classicraceruk1337]

Ian was spot on every time

[@Dav1Gv]

Paula Vennels should be sewing mailbags not carrying them.

[@ChrisM541]

...in prison !!

[@johnmartinez7440]

Yes, they made that joke in the clip.

[@FerreroWatchesVideos]

The best thing about this whole thing is that the quiz stops & they just embrace how terrible it is & just discuss it. Spreading the word of this tragedy. Obviously with jokes running through, but the butt of the jokes is never the victims.

[@eddieharris6004]

So many "proffessionals" just following guidelines and keeping quiet....not just Paula Vennels that have to come under the spotlight now. A wake up call that it took computer weekly, private eye and a tv drama to expose the rotten institutional behaviour of royal mail.

[@V45194]

The banality of evil

[@markcarlon8558]

The royal mail is just one of the rotten British institutions, that is rotten to the core, and corrupt and has committed crimes over the years and it has been covered up and it's never been heard about. All governments and government run businesses have corruption, there is always a few that can't resist.

[@thenefyncat6970]

Oh, come on, they were only following orders, and that's always worked out well in the past. Hasn't it?

[@portcullis5622]

The Post Office. Royal Mail is a separate business, apparently.

[@robingannaway8262]

The biggest and first lie is that Horizon did not have access to the sub-postmaster's accounts. Every computer system I have used has administration level access where the computer geeks had access to all areas of the system .

[@JasperJanssen]

They don’t usually have access to the *account*, though. Admins should never “log in as user” to fix the problem, they should make needed changes using their admin account. Plus it should be logged that an admin user logged in as a user if it ever does happen.

[@ShakesSphere]

Low clouds, lol 🤣🤣🤣

[@Yankee7000]

Masterpiece Theater here in the US showed the serialized story Mr Bates v Post Office. I am sure that in this case, life indeed was far worse than the art.

[@eclectica1]

Absolutely. 100%.

[@vickymc9695]

'why did they do this?' because they got bonuses for prosecuting them, another for 'recovery' funds, more for closing down small post offices without having to pay them out if they were 'owing money', and again for making the post office look more profitable when the money they tuck from the post masters was put into their prophets at the end of 2 years. They got paid every time they hurt these people.

[@kinsmed]

555. That's how many that came forward saying Horizon destroyed their lives. This is covered heartbreakingly in BBC's "Mr. Bates vs the Post Office".

[@davidwelch6796]

There are probably many more innocent victims who have not yet come forward, perhaps because they cannot bear the thought of having to relive their terrible experience yet again and in the glare of media coverage. Then there the victims who have died, or those that have had their health severely affected and are unable to face the stress of coming forward.

[@effyleven]

Good grief! "Mr Bates vs. The Post Office" was broadcast by ITV. The BBC did NOT produce it.

[@scotland5370]

The BBC panorama program around 2015 was held up for some time. now say that the BBC is not subject to influence from the rich and powerful.

[@liliasgordon3565]

Not a BBC programme.

[@johnash826]

To believe a computer developer couldn't access every part of the system they developed to make manual adjustments, is ludicrous!

[@XboneMalone]

Vennells shouldn't be near any job involving any degree of responsibility ever again

[@vickymc9695]

She is on a board for a NHS trust right now

[@portcullis5622]

Doesn't need to work again. Took more than £5 million in salary and bonuses, and was awarded a CBE for lying, bullying and incompetence.

[@josephkerrigan733]

She should go to jail for the rest of her life. That is the only appropriate outcome.

[@michaelhearn3052]

@@vickymc9695 Was. She resigned from it.

[@danganbeg7225]

Isn't she some kind of protestant priest?

[@theskillzone24]

Usually, political satire and innuendo, however this clip demonstrates the positive moral compass of Ian Hyslop et al superbly.

[@deepindercheema4917]

"ignoring wilfully through perverse and evil motivation" 11:07

[@catherinesinclair7727]

Love Ian ..and Jason Beer. ❤

[@deepindercheema4917]

@@catherinesinclair7727 jason is a sweet man

[@jackwaycombe]

Computers!!!!!!!! A while ago, at a supermarket checkout, I asked the assistant how - given I had 3/4 kilo of bananas at £1 a kilo - the till had rung up £1.25? She looked at me as though I was an idiot and simply replied "If that's what the computer says, it MUST be right!" I called for a supervisor - who gave me the same answer! I simply abandoned my trolley and walked out - followed by threats of legal action. We're producing a nation of imbeciles. Trouble is, some imbeciles seem to be so much richer than the rest of us

[@bren106]

Where are you buying bananas at £1/Kg? I'll be there waiting on the doorstep first thing tomorrow morning.

[@sauvignonblanc0]

Someone else like me. 😅

[@jackwaycombe]

@@bren106 They're 90p a kilo in Tescos right now...

[@markhutton6824]

Thank you Private Eye, Computer Weekly for first breaking this travesty and then HIGFY for continuing to bring this to the forefront long before the ITV drama.

[@annecampbell9236]

Paula vennels is now working for the NHS. IS THIS A JOKE SHE SHOUld BE IN JAIL!

[@stephenbradford1971]

That's not true she left the NHS in April 2021 but not without refusing to leave for some time.

[@Walesbornandbred]

It's called corrupt government.

[@deojnwedofuWE]

She got the boot, eventually. Shameless twat held on for as long as she could. She's now jobless, no longer a vicar and has had her CBE revoked. Personally I won't be satisfied without criminal proceedings against her, people committed suicide over this.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

If Paula Vennells had all these other jobs/positions, how did she find time to be a vicar? Surely ministering to people's spiritual needs is a full-time occupation . Why hasn't she been defrocked?

[@purplefood1]

​@@AnneDowson-vp8lg being dishonest is basically a job requirement.

[@kevq761]

Well done Ian. You tood up when so many would'nt

[@nikolaslarson6891]

Fat POL cat: I don't know. I can't recall. I wasn't present and if I was I was sleeping...

[@FatNormanCoathanger]

Let's hope ALL the blame doesn't go Vennels as the scapegoat . The inquiry has shown some despicable behaviour from lower orders Jobsworths .

[@brianmeek5236]

The farther up the chain the less likelihood of anyone admitting a mistake or taking the blame, it takes someone special to admit a mistake and try to correct it

[@Highland_Moo]

Vennells needs to spend time in prison. Once released, she should have to visit every person, (and the families of those who took their lives), and personally apologise.

[@themusette5894]

The Paula Principle - move upwards until you are out of your depth.

[@portcullis5622]

Then stay there as long as possible and milk it for every penny, while blaming everyone else for errors and problems.

[@Emanon...]

How is their conduct not considered criminal? At the very least it's obstruction of justice, isn't it?

[@ChrisM541]

It's what happens after this enquiry that's going to be important. I have to believe the enquiry will conclude damningly against many inside and outside the PO. After that, the criminal court cases will follow. The government is about to pay millions in compensation for the Blood Scandal that's recently concluded, where the victims there could each receive payments of about £2m. There were 30,000 victims!

[@meganm1074]

The Met are investigating. Prosecutions are likely.

[@nevillemason6791]

Damming information found about the Horizon system wasn't disclosed to defence teams when the postmasters/mistresses were prosecuted. That's 'perverting the course of justice.' Courts were misled or lied to by the prosecution or prosecution witnesses. That's perjury. Money that was known not be owing was taken from postmasters/mistresses and kept by The Post Office who added it to their profits. That's fraud. There may be other offences to be considered.

[@stu7399]

It was SO obvious, SO quickly to delay as long as possible and "hope it goes away" - totally disgusting. Reminds me of the infected blood scandal.

[@sdc8547]

Thank god for Ian Hislop.

[@BrockSamson-i1i]

joe lycett is like modern movies. you get an emotional character moment or powerful speech, and then someone makes a joke about nandos

[@Aussie1-hg4kd]

Jeeze, I don't even live in the country and even I know Hislop and Private Eye did a lot of stories on this disgraceful episode of misjustice.

[@TheWonderfulDavidofOz]

Paul repeatedly makind sure that Ian gets credit is why theyre such an amazing duo. Loyal to the core.

[@johnmunro4952]

Julian assange has been in prison for years for a fraction of this. These people must be brought to justice.

[@russellbradley454]

Assange revealed information that probably put intelligence officers Put in place to protect our security lives in danger.

[@ChequeTwice]

Love how Ian doesn't take sides but he exposes all the wrongs both sides have done. He just puts them on a pedestal.

[@johncodling9805]

Tony Blair was under pressure from the Japanese Government to award this contract to Fujitsu, and he is now a multi-millionaire. It's not bad after being a PM on £140k + a year.

[@laxeystu8096]

I'm not sure what you're saying here Did Blair become a millionaire because of this decision? It was the sort of decision PMs have to make

[@sjs9698]

@@laxeystu8096 idk about blair specifically but the standard line for ex-mps is that they get cushy jobs on the boards of various companies who they've done 'little favours' for while in govt. wouldn't be a surprise if he'd done better out of it then most, given his position

[@20chocsaday]

@@johncodling9805 give the man a holiday in Iraq.

[@DavidRedfern-p3b]

@@laxeystu8096The question is if Blair refrained from attacking his choice when the catastrophe cracked open.

[@ZIGSVIDS]

Establish this. ' Did Vennells and company knowingly deny these people justice in order to get/keep millions in bonus's ? ' If that is a 'YES' then its a whole different kettle of fish. If Vennells is undeserving of an award (CBE) why then a bonus ?

[@abzzeus]

The post office thought that the sub postmaster had their hands in the till and Horizon was proving it was the case - the whole central bureaucracy had the idea that they "were at it" & now they they'd got them

[@sn4rff]

a great video. an outrageous scandal.

[@belbrighton6479]

Private Eye is the best magazine ever 🎉

[@terryboland3816]

Well, it's absorbent. I'll give it that.

[@tornagawn]

The serious investigative reporting on major scandals over the years is quite impressive

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

It's a 5/10 and much lower if you're not a long term reader.

[@thenefyncat6970]

@@terryboland3816 Glad I wasn't drinking tea when I read that.🤣

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

It behaved abhorrently during the Covid pandemic, insulted respected scientists who were critical of the pandemic response or vaccines. The Scottish Covid enquiry is asking pertinent questions that would have had you labelled as a tin foil hat nut by the PE. I will never forget how quickly they stepped in line, Hislop is a safety release valve for establishment corruption. He has a go at them, then pat's himself on the back and looks like a smug umpah loompa.

[@Dim4323]

Mr bates vs the post office

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

Power corrupts, and the corruptable are attracted to power. The worst rise to the top of a corrupt system. Bad habits become institutional and open secrets. All of this is inevitable. People as a rule, can't be trusted with money and power and we shouldn't assume people will just get on with their jobs in good faith. Constant almost merciless oversight is the least that should be happening, with ongoing public records of behaviour, dealings, associates etc. Who watches the watchers? Those being watched.

[@smhorse]

Groupthink....

[@jaywalker3087]

Yep. Always Question Authority Too. The System Is Broken.....

[@roswilliams2899]

Straight out of Orwell's 1984.

[@marksandsmith6778]

Hannah Fry. Brains and beauty.

[@williamoates1754]

Given that 'P.O management' is now an oxymoron, a more accurate brand change would be Prattling Obfuscation Limited.

[@jamescoburn6789]

Logic reduces this down to the fact there was no evidence other than a computer balance. The balance was not linked an audit trail which would have displayed all transactions. Nope just a figure linked to nothing. How that got though court, is anyones guess. Someone must have asked in court, what do you claim this money is from? Stamps? These people need to go to jail but the legal system should not escape scrutiny. The judges should have laughed PO out of court on each occasion.

[@roswilliams2899]

Looks like some of the legal profession should also go to jail. Some judges sent SPMs to jail with no evidence that those SPMs had committed any crime.

[@scotland5370]

Spot on

[@andrewgallimore1226]

Excellent, as ever. 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@colinmiller8361]

Thank God for Ian Hislop,. He must not and, probably will not let this story go away until justice has been served, by bringing these evil people to court.

[@aramanon]

Another fantastic example of when IT companies convince Corporate Boards that "You CAN use this new IT" presnted as Solutions to corporate level problems to put in the annual report to justify their bonuses, and they forget that this doesn't not mean "You SHOULD use the IT", because "this IT system should save money" usually means "this IT system has a hundred ways to go wrong plus hundreds of ways that it could go wrong that no human could even foresee, before it even launches".

[@chris-vn6sw]

I’m of the opinion the government gave the post office executives the nod to close ranks having their backs along with huge bonuses. The government had invested hundreds of millions of tax payers money on a failed IT system, that and the post office pending sale

[@frankreynolds4547]

Yes, I don't think this escaped the ear of the government of the day and cowardly figures felt insulated enough to let it play out under smoke and mirrors with the poor postmaster's being framed. Possibly unintended consequences, but at least the likes of PV could be thrown under the bus as collateral.

[@marybrown72091]

The Post Office scandal tells the public the culture of the bosses is very toxic! These bosses treated the decent, hardworking postmasters with utter contempt for years! Now all the vile bosses cannot remember what went on! The postmasters are good whilst the bosses are dreadful!

[@Fcutdlady]

Wasn't a huge fan of ian hislop until this story broke . I thought he was so smug. A large heaping amount of respect to him for standing up for the people that got wrongfully arrested in this scandal .

[@Pioden-j9q]

Outstanding 👍🏻

[@oldhedders]

At uni I was taught that, if you want to understand what's actually going on, you need to read The Economist and Private Eye. It's never steered me too far wrong.

[@bryn494]

I watch rail traffic too ;)

[@bryn494]

Not volume or value but type of goods being carried ;)

[@tenofivelips]

"Computer says noooooo"

[@GYoung-ew7iz]

Wonderful.

[@CatherineDover]

They do this because they know they can get away with it.

[@hpoonis2010]

Vennells is probably the most hated person in the UK. Sir Wyn WIlliams is very deceptive. He initially appears to be a saintly old grandad but almost all of his questions strike hard in a very measured way.

[@TurquoizeGoldscraper]

3:44 - I've never seen someone I'd call "Brillohead" and mean it as a compliment.

[@AllIsWellaus]

Made to listen, "the computer says, no".

[@Nosmo90]

1:04: The obvious, facetious answer to this question is that the Post Office was so corrupt that no-one batted an eye at the criminality of others and only prosecuted the sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses because it was easier than not prosecuting them.

[@allenomalley4014]

I think Fujitsu should be thoroughly investigated and current existing contracts exited , new ones not awarded. Fujitsu have gladly and with some collusion robbed taxpayers for a long long time

[@VAPIDISM]

She was the head while this was going on, her claims that she didnt know blah blah blah are unbelievable. So many people had their lives ruined. She just might claw back a grain of respect if she admitted to the lies and if she is really truly sorry as she claims she should suffer financially and serve time in prison.

[@geoffjones4285]

Alan Bates for Prime Minister

[@johannesnicolaas]

Oh look, an Anglican cleric stealing our mail!! Someone call the police...!

[@michaelhearn3052]

She was ordained in 2006 and resigned in 2019 when the first appeal court case gave its judgement IIRC. Another source in the Anglican Church advised me that she had her license rescinded.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@michaelhearn3052 Don't forget, however, that Justin Welby, currently pretending to be Archbishop of Canterbury, thought Vennells would have made a good Bishop of London. Justin has, of course, been uncharacteristically silent on the issue recently.

[@lizhoward-k7627]

I know that Crichton woman... My son was literally made to sit with her son at school, for 3 years, her son was very strange, odd...I wasn't allowed to change my sons desks, at all.., ive allways wondered if the Crichton's paid the school

[@GYoung-ew7iz]

Private eye, of course we’re and are right all along

[@timonmob9588]

Paul Merton serious for once.

[@NotoriousWhistler]

Thank goodness, I've always thought what this comedy panel show needs is less comedy.

[@misterbonzoid5623]

@@NotoriousWhistler Merton is often irritatingly juvenile, so in his case I agree.

[@relwaretep]

​@@misterbonzoid5623life is irritatingly juvenile 🤷‍♂️

[@johncarlisle6865]

Any particular episode, because this was an assortment?

[@nick9669]

Is it a dolphin in a bathtub?

[@LeighPankhurst]

The account managers were offered bonuses for determining that post masters were guilty of theft. There was a back door that allowed the account managers to remotely alter post masters account records to make them appear guilty. It seems that it was deliberate and malicious fraud to earn bonuses and completely destrot post masters lives in the process. Vennels should spend the rest of her life in prison. Every single judge and court that failed totally to correctly determine guilt are complicit. The justice system has utterly failed to deliver justice and must be reformed.

[@bevharrie7332]

What person/s or committee was responsible for granting Fuji (spelling ?) the Post Office contract? I would like to see the names of Fuji investors who might have gained from awarding the contract, as well as Fuji’s list of customers who might have gained from the contract with the post office. Ummm, what system does the crown and all of their entities use….Products developed by Fuji……..

[@Tmas-o5y]

I don't want to worry any seafarers but Fujitsu were responsible for the updated comms system for the Coastguard back in the day. I would expect it to have been replaced by now (hopefully not by Fujitsu) but you never know.

[@Flymochairman1]

The Post Office Scandal: A National Disgrace is a faint description and good on Private Eye for being so belligerent over the years. The whole management should be jailed and the firm taken into Government ownership. The arrangements and other employ carried out by these Top Management people, with other companies has proved beneficial or not should now be investigated with greater scrutiny than ever before and should not excuse them from the punishments commensurate here.

[@barbarahenninger6642]

One reason to keep covering up is that Post Office became a publicly traded corporation with a board of directors. Corporations ultimately only care about profit for their shareholders. For that reason, the board was highly motivated to keep from paying out for the damages they owed for their part in the miscarriage of justice.

[@gohumberto]

What is it about the millions in salary and bonuses that made the Executives want to cover this whole thing up I wonder?

[@CanadaMatt]

Just checking in to make sure Paula Vennels hasn't offed herself or anything. Hopefully somebody's watching out for warning signs. After all, would be a shame if that happened before she faced criminal proceedings and was given the opportunity to do it properly with a bed sheet in her jail cell.

[@Mark-it6ue]

Mr Beer is a National Treasure

[@SuperMagnumguy]

Brilliant…. Best example of gob smacking I have ever seen.

[@_Why_123]

🤔Most every country has a Post-Office computer system, the obvious choice, when deciding to implement one, would be to choose between the most tested, bug-free systems already in use, and NOT to choose to have one written-from-scratch, by a company without prior experience in the specific field! ... Whichever modifications needed to the software would work out FAR cheaper!!

[@bryn494]

'Computer error', that says it all. Computers do NOT make mistakes, they do exactly what they're told; the rest is pure smoke and mirrors from people who want to avoid some sort of 'embarrassment' . They screwed up, knew they screwed up and then continued screwing up. Now they've been caught out they wriggle and squirm to avoid the consequences. What an evil tragedy :(

[@ericashmusic8889]

And all that time ,nobody thought to question if there was a portal in the computer system ? where all the missing millions could have slipped through & away ?? ...

[@dmob881]

They did question it. For 20 years. POL lied about it. The list they lied to is very long. Thats why Bates is so lauded as a hero... he never let it go.

[@ericashmusic8889]

Whose got the money that went missing ??

[@dmob881]

@@ericashmusic8889 *There was no 'missing' money.* That's the point. Apparent shortfalls were created by system errors and, in some instances, attempts to fix system problems by technical staff using a 'back door' which everyone denied even existed for donkeys years. Subpostmasters were obliged to make good on these phantom shortfall figures because of the contract they signed. So they re-mortgaged, borrowed etc until they ran out of options. THAT money - THEIR money - went to POL profits which was used to pay huge bonuses to the people who were doing them over. THATS the money they are trying to get back - plus compensation for the loss of their businesses, reputations and, for some, their health and years spent in prison. Which is another side of the scandal. The scheme designed to 'refund' and compensate those who won their court case or who have had their convictions overturned, is moving at a glacial pace and the offers that are being made are something of an insult. In just the last few weeks, Alan Bates was offered something like 1/6th of the money he is due. So - they are still at it - EVEN NOW. It's basically designed to wait these folks out - they are not youngsters - the more that pass away waiting, the less POL has to pay. The word 'scandal' really doesn't cut it, frankly.