Post Office Scandal - little people & big people quote

 

How will the new officers of UKGI, many appointed in 2022, change UKGI's culture to address the mistakes of the past?

Nine of the 12 Directors of UKGI have been appolinted from September 2022 or later.  So its to be hoped that they already have in place a plan to change the culture of the organisation.

Why does the culture need to change?  Just look at UKGI's role in the Post Office scandal.  Like many organisations they were slow to realise the extent of the corporate wrong doing.  But perhaps the most shocking revelation that their former Chairman (recently left in 2021) admitted at the enquiry was that a dashboard with risks on it "was not presented for discussion at the board it was presented for information".  

Some would say that a Board that delegates discussion of risks is one that seriously misunderstands its role in corporate governance.

Looking at the history of UKGI one conclusion might be that private sector bankers, consultants and their ilk may have many commercial skill sets.  But what they don't have is the actual experience of holding arms length owned government organisations to account to the standards that tax payers assume somebody is applying on their behalf..  

Perhaps their lack of attention to this dynamic is because, although a few people might be chosen to suffer public humiliation with honours returned, for the rest there is no such danger nor the risk or criminal prosecution.

Below I've set out some more detail on the performance of  UKGI.  

  

More detail

Owned by HM Treasury, UK Government Investments - UKGI - (previously the Stakeholder Executive) purpose is "to be the government’s centre of excellence in corporate governance and corporate finance. One of our core objectives is to act as shareholder for, and lead the establishment of, UK government arm’s length bodies." (Source 2)

The UKGI what we do/governance website page says - about a1/3rd of a way down the page - says that "The public sector and state owned enterprises, wholly or partially owned, which UKGI works with are" and then there is a long list of 16 or so arms length wholly/partially state owned enterprises covering the nuclear industry, various bank like organisations, Channel 4, Nat West and the Royal Mint.

Of the 12 current officers of UKGI listed with Companies House, all have been appointed in the last 4 or 5 years with the bulk from 2022 but others earlier.  Presumably they would all argue that their tenure at UKGI is after the peak 2014-2018 cover up period at the Post Office as concerns the Horizon and sub-postmaster scandal.  (the PO is one of the organisations UKGI works with).

Assuming that argument is valid, they still inherit a UKGI culture which resulted in:

- in 2014 one reported risk "if the system were to show up as defective, then potentially the criminal convictions could be overturned and compensation [from Post Office] Ltd" that didn't go to the Shareholder Executive Board.  At the PO enquiry UKGI's Chief Exec - Mark Russell - (2013-2019) stated that particular risk hadn't been considered significant.

- at the PO enquiry UKGI's Chairman - Robert Swannell  (2014-2021) said that the dashboard with the risks on it "was not presented for discussion at the board it was presented for information".  So even in 2018, 2 years after litigation against the PO had been launched, this risk was not considered.  It did become a top priority for the Board when, in March 2019, the High Court voiced a verdict ofn the PO's "oppressive" behaviour.

According to the Companies House records available on line, as at 17/8/2024 - the 12 current officers are 

Dr Mahnaz, Akbary-Safa - Occupation Non-Executive Director

Andrew Mark Ballheimer - Occupation Non-Executive Director

Manvinder Singh Banga - Occupation Company Director

Gareth Neil Davies - Occupation Civil Servant

Kalpana Desai - Occupation Non-Executive Director

Charles Hunter Donald -  Occupation Chief Executive

Andrew James Duff - Occupation Llpmember

Jessica Elizabeth Glover - Occupation Civil Servant

Andrew Nigel Halford - Occupation Company Director

Dr Vanessa Vivienne, Lawrence - Occupation Company Director

Iain James Mackay - Occupation Company Director

Elizabeth Jane Russel - Occupation Civil Servant

Photo by @bendavisual via unsplash.com

Sources 

1) Post above initially inspired with assertions made in page 7 "Steward Inquiry" paragraphs and page 40"Post Office Enquiry" page in Private Eye Issue no. 1630 16th August - 29th August 2024.

2) UKGI's 6th May 2021 letter replying to Rt Hon Mel Stride, MP Chair of the Treasury Committee, on the Committees their inquiry into the lessons to be learnt from the failure of Greensill Capital.

3) Various queries of Gemini AI on UKGI

4) The application of some HI

Britain's Broken Legal Scales of Justice

Justice delayed is justice denied:

This age-old adage rings tragically true in the wake of the UK Post Office scandal, where hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly accused of fraud due to faulty software, their lives shattered while waiting for years to clear their names. The saga serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of justice delayed, and begs the question: how can we prevent such systemic failures from occurring again?

The UK Government's immediate response to the scandal is a special bill that overturns all the various court conclusions of guilty subpostmasters and which creates quicker routes to compensation. Whilst worthwhile and needed, this approach is tackling the consequences of failures in how UK justice works, rather than addressing the root causes.

One additional immediate action that Alan Bates calls for in his 12th January 2024 FT article - is to overturn last Summer's Supreme Court PACCAR ruling which makes litigation funding in the UK largely impossible. Alan says in the article "The government can and should fix this urgently, and in the coming weeks they’ll have their chance. All it would take is a minor tweak to the proposed digital markets, competition and consumers bill, which is currently being reviewed in the House of Lords, to unwind the impacts of the PACCAR judgment."

The Cost of a Ticking Clock:

Imagine years of your life consumed by legal battles, your reputation in tatters, and your livelihood lost, all while clinging to the hope of eventual vindication. This was the harsh reality for countless subpostmasters, forced to navigate a labyrinthine legal system while facing the formidable might of the Post Office itself. The financial and emotional toll was immense, with many succumbing to illness, bankruptcy, and even suicide before seeing justice served.

Tilting the Scales:

The Post Office scandal wasn't just about faulty software; it exposed deep flaws within the justice system itself. A crippling lack of resources left courts overburdened and understaffed, with cases languishing for years awaiting trial. This, coupled with inadequate legal aid provisions for those facing well-resourced organizations like the Post Office, created a system heavily tilted against the vulnerable.

Reshaping the Landscape:

To prevent such injustices from repeating, a multi-pronged approach is essential:

• Investing in our courts: Increased funding is crucial to bolster the judiciary, allowing for more judges and courtrooms, and consequently faster case processing.  Justice delayed shouldn't become justice denied due to a clogged system.
• Leveling the playing field: Robust legal aid programs must be established to ensure equal access to justice, regardless of financial standing.  Facing a Goliath like the Post Office without proper legal support is akin to entering a boxing match with bare knuckles.
• Embracing technology: Streamlining court procedures through digitalization can expedite case progression and reduce administrative burdens. Imagine if the Post Office scandal had unfolded in a tech-enabled system, where evidence could be readily accessed and analyzed, potentially preventing years of suffering.

The Post Office scandal is a scar on British justice, a stark reminder of the human cost of delayed legal resolution. By investing in our courts, providing equal access to legal aid, and harnessing the power of technology, we can strive towards a system where justice, like London buses, arrives swiftly and reliably, ensuring that no one is left waiting in the cold for years on end. Only then can we truly claim to have a justice system worthy of the scales of Lady Justice.

Sources:

I asked Bard to "write a short article with a snappy title about how the uk post office scandal demonstrates that justice delayed is justice is denied and ideas on how to to avoid such delays in future like: the need for there to be more courts and judges sitting more frequently; access to legal aid/funding for defendents up against large organisations". The text above is what it came up with. I reformatted this slightly and added the text in blue and the picture.

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

3min 19sec @BBCRadio4 clip - The Post Office Scandal - the widest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history?

text from you tube "The extraordinary story of a decade-long battle with the Post Office, fought by their own Sub Postmasters. Some call it the widest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history."

2min british #movietone clip - Candidates for the #Speaking #Clock - 1935

Text from youtube "Telephonist Jane Cain wins the competition to become the voice of the Speaking Clock in 1935.

CU Stuart Hibbard. CU Dame Sybil Thorndike. CU John Masefield. CU Mrs Atkinson. CU Lord Iliffe. Close shot of the girls competing. CU winner after she is congratulated by the Postmaster General. "

2min british #movietone clip - Candidates for the #Speaking #Clock - 1935

Text from youtube "Telephonist Jane Cain wins the competition to become the voice of the Speaking Clock in 1935.

CU Stuart Hibbard. CU Dame Sybil Thorndike. CU John Masefield. CU Mrs Atkinson. CU Lord Iliffe. Close shot of the girls competing. CU winner after she is congratulated by the Postmaster General. "