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Message
From: Alisdair Cameron
on behalf of — Alisdair Cameron <
Sent: 12/04/2019
To: Tim Parker [f
Subject: RE: Update .
Thanks very much, that’s all underway. I will ask Avene and Di to get us 15 minutes on Thursday. Much
appreciated, Al
Alisdair Cameron
Interim Chief Executive
20 Finsbury Street
London
EC2Y 9AQ
From: Tim Parker
Sent: 12 April 2019 13:
To: Alisdair Cameron
Subject: Re: Update
Thanks, Al, very useful.
My inclination on hearing is that we should both go. If not then, if you are happy to, it should be the CEO. Good idea to
do the training. Looks like we can get TK to a reasonable position on the budget, which is realistic but has some
challenge to it. We await HS’s considered view on appeal strategy, but plenty of reasons reassess DC as lead advocate.
Would appreciate brief on Telecoms process on Tuesday week. I agree would make sense to look at the irritating bloke
from S&M for advice on the CWU case. Would like to see succession piece ahead of Board. Mo’s note a good step to
clarify what UKGI should be doing on pay below Board level.
I think you know I won’t be in this Tuesday, but happy to speak by phone at some point next week - let me know what
suits.
Best
Tim
Tim Parker
Chairman
National Trust
20 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W ODH
Chairman
Post Office Limited
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bury Dials, 20 Finsbury Street, London, EC2Y 9AQ.
Chairman
Samsonite International SA
Westerring 17, B-9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium
From: Alisdair Cameron “GRO
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 10:36 am
To: Tim Parker
Subject: Update
Tim, I just wanted to give you an update on a number of points. It’s a long note but it feels like there is quite a
lot going on — maybe just new CEO naivete? Have a good weekend and see you Tuesday, when you might tell
me if I am over or under communicating. Thanks, Al
1. I met the senior associate from Herbert Smith and he is young and with a limited presence but still
came across more strongly that his equivalent at S&M. I also extracted promises, which we will get
repeated, that the partners will be deeply involved — he assured me that this is how they work anyway.
On that basis I confirmed we would go ahead subject to usual terms and fees discussion. They have
taken longer to get permission from RM than expected (RM tried to get us to sign a ridiculous
indemnity) but expect to be clear today — and we only heard that late last night. I find it important to
do these things well, which means face to face — so as Jane is working from home today and I am at
NFSP Monday, I am planning to talk to her Monday evening. Mo is lined up in support.
2. We have started work on the Select Committee preparation: document in by 6 May, hearing on 21°. At
the moment, the plan is for the CWU etc to have a session in the morning and for one PO person and
the Minister to have a joint session in the afternoon. Sometimes these things can be changed or
negotiated so the question for you to consider is whether you agree with this as an approach — you
might prefer to be the PO person, we might ask for both of us to go etc. Maybe we can discuss Tuesday
and I have flagged to UKGI to make sure the Minister is discussing it and they are thinking about
submissions, rehearsals etc from their point of view.
3. If lam attending, which is my working assumption, I will prepare very seriously with both material and
rehearsals. I am also going to spend about £1800 of PO money (and I am making you aware so you can
disagree as I would previously have got permission) on presentation training from RADA (which I was
planning to do anyway, this has just accelerated it),
4. Onthe budget/STIP I think Tom and I are starting to see a route through although I haven’t landed it
yet. I arranged for him to spend 2-3 hours yesterday with all the FDs going through the budget packs
pre GLO and he found that helpful. Obviously, he had to hold on to one “I’m not sure” caveat which
was IT costs but we are, I think, strong here and can demonstrate the contractual battles we are
fighting relentlessly to make progress. He does agree that we shouldn’t be forcing EBITDA in 2019/20
given it will come good next year and is expecting us to aim off in the short term to prioritise the GLO
agenda. My sense is that some combination of nudging slightly up, extending the stretch but then
coming off for GLO work will be negotiable. I am working on the storyline today, the team are working
on the numbers and choices and we will bring it together next week. Tom and I have agreed to meet
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10.
11.
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with a view to reaching a sensible, shared position before the April Board. While he didn’t say so, I
suspect that this more reasonable position was helped by your conversation with him, so thank you.
Appeals. The appeal on the recusal went in yesterday. We had 90 minutes with David Cavender, WBD,
Norton Rose and the team last night. Their strong recommendation is a fairly broad ranging appeal on
the first trial, accelerated so we hand it in well before 16 May deadline with a request that the two
appeals be heard together. There is a lot here that makes me uncomfortable. DC has that senior-
consultant-arrogance that means that questions appear to be taken as slightly impertinent challenges
and this left NR completely supine. All questions are met with “well I have thought about it very
carefully and this is my view”. In addition, this is now deeply personal for DC and after a string of
pejorative statements (“this awful judge”) I asked him to stop criticising the judge and focus on success
for us. He did but only slightly “this extraordinary judgement”. Nonetheless, we are working through
every point of potential appeal to be sure that it is necessary, gets the right tone, can be explained
outside the courtroom and will not appear frivolous and aggressive. I have asked for another session
next week and a GLO subcommittee when it can be arranged. This will give time to get HS engaged.
HMRC. HMRC has announced it is doubling fees for FX licenses which is likely to mean that
commercially we should withdraw FX from some smaller, marginal branches. I haven’t seen any
numbers yet as Owen and the team are working through it. I have flagged to UKGI as we may seek
Ministerial support for some exemption. I think that it highly unlikely and we will have to decide to
subsidise, subsidise for a year or withdraw.
Telecoms. We have an agreed way forward with a small, focused confidential auction on one hand and
separately, a set of procurements for the component parts in public. I met with Verizon this week and
am pushing them into the procurement process as they are further ahead on 5G in the US than
anyone else, according to them at least. If you would like a briefing from Owen and Meredith let me
know.
Corporate Development. We have an interim in place in the strategy and deals space, Jonathan Lewis,
who started this week. He started with McKinseys and then has good commercial experience at Tesco’s
and elsewhere,
POCA. I have written to Amber Rudd requesting a meeting and KT is also writing. The point I am (and
Tom is also) trying to get across is to stop banging on about what we need and start talking about how
we solve their problems. The team is drafting a full letter setting out issues and opportunities that I
plan to send if we don’t get a meeting — or perhaps even if we do. My worry is that when they start the
procurement in May it just becomes mathematical choices by junior officials and one low ball bid from
someone who doesn’t understand the complexities will hurt Post Offices (I am not worried about us
commercially, it’s a break even product anyway) and in the end be a disastrous outcomes for the
customers and consequently for DWP...
Bol. I have a planned meeting with Francesca on 30 April. She has asked for it just to be the two if us so
we can have an honest exchange...May be interesting.
BF. No big news, although Barclays are still fussing about PCI compliance. The route to green on PCI is
still WIP. Rob is acutely aware of the urgency and importance.
CWU. I had a couple of hours with AF this week and will make it a regular event as I try and build trust
and dialogue. He is responding, although it Is early days and we had a good and open conversation
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about the Select Committee etc. The piece of personal thinking (not PO policy) I am dangling is that I
may be happy for the smallest Postmasters to be workers or even employees provided that it is
voluntary, very tightly defined, a small number and that their terms and conditions are much close to
market than DMB staff. This would settle Starling if we got to a deal. I am tempted to get the annoying
one from S&M involved as I don’t trust our advice internally or externally.
13. NFSP. Debbie and I are doing speeches and answering questions and Debbie will stay both days. The
messages are: different partnership with agents; we are changing; you have to too.
14. Succession. Mo and I are finalising a paper for the April Board as requested. Let me know if you want to
see it in advance.
15. Boundaries on pay etc. See Mo’s note to Tom Aldred below. More legalistic than I would normally be
but I have let it run as they do need to start clarifying: the uncertainty is unhelpful. .
Alisdair Cameron
Interim Chief Executive
20 Finsbury Street
London
EC2Y SAQ
From: Mohinder Kang <i
Sent: 12 April 2019 08:36
To: Alisdair Cameron <i
Subject: PO Employee Status
Hi Al
For info.
Mo
From: Mohinder Kang
Sent: 12 April 2019 08:34
To: Aldred, Tom - UKGI <}
Cc: Jane MacLeod ¢
Subject: PO Employee Status
Hi Tom
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Thanks
Mo
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