POL00143372
POL00143372
From: Simon Baker[IMCEAEX-
_O=MMS_OU=EXCHANGE+20ADMINISTRATIVE+20GROUP+20+28FY DIBOHF23SPDLT+29
_CN=RECIPIENTS_CN=SIMON+2EBAKER4B1A8EF6-D2E0-4DEC-94EA-
591DFA651F2E@C72A47.ingest.local]
Sent: Fri 13/07/2012 33 AM (UTC)
To: Alwen Lyons
Subject: FW: Notes from today's meeting at Portcullis House
Attachment: Horizon - Portcullis House Meeting on July 12th.doc
From: Ron Warmington:
Sent: 12 July 2012 23:25
To: ‘Susan Crichton’; Simon Baker
Cc: ‘Ian Henderson
Subject: Notes from today's meeting at Portcullis House
Susan/Simon/lan:
Sorry this is so late but didn’t quite finish the notes on the train home. The meeting was longer than the previous
one... about an hour and a half, maybe more. Bates was affable and easy to deal with. JA is pretty well ENTIRELY in
step with us (and we with him). Kay Linnell was showing off a bit so was very aggressive for about half an hour...
neutral and softening for another... and in step for the last half hour. You might not like everything that is suggested
in the attached notes... but it does all make some sense. We'll go over it in tomorrow’s call.
By the way (this not in the notes). Bates claimed that the Helpline used to be called “The Helpless Line”... but is
nowadays referred to by many as “The Enemy”. Like it or not, this sort of stuff must have a pretty big impact (on MPs
and the Press) when rationally articulated by seemingly affable people. They are giving out a powerful and consistent
message that, when a difference (shortfall) emerges (of course when the week-end or month-end balancing is being
done) there is no real help available to identify the cause of even very large and never-before-encountered errors.
The story is that “The Post Office just doesn’t care... it knows that it’s entitled to claim its money, whatever happens”.
I hope you all get a chance to read this before tomorrow morning’s (09:30) call. Simon: you hadn’t copied lan in on
the conf call request so I forwarded him the diary appointment and dial-in numbers. lan: Any errors or mistaken
recollection in this email or the notes... just blast out a correction.
Thanks again. Ron.