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From: Mark R Davies[/O=MMS/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=MARK R DAVIESA80D7269-659B-41D0-9C80-
68D9DE4FA7C5D38]
Sent: Wed 15/07/2015 8:22:18 PM (UTC)
To: Nick Beal
Subject: Fwd: MP meeting
Hi
I could do with a word about some of below (my email, not Tom's) tomorrow.
Not on email!
M
Mark Davies
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
Post Office Ltd
Begin forwarded message:
From: Tom Wechsler <~ GRO
Date: 15 July 2015 21:
To: Mark R Davies <!
4
Subject: RE: MP meeting
___>, Patrick Bourke
A model of understatement. A good thing I did not go - not sure I could have maintained your
equilibrium. So much we could all say........
Thank you both for fronting this. I know it is genuinely appreciated by other colleagues.
Anything at all I can do please ask (no matter how menial).
T
Sent from my Windows Phone
From: Mark R Davies
Sent: 15/07/2015 20:18
To: Jane MacLeod; Paula Vennells; Melanie Corfield; Mark Underwood1; Rodric Williams; Jane Hill; Tom
Wechsler; Angela Van-Den-Bogerd
Subject: Re: MP meeting
Apologies, adding Angela
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Mark Davies
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
Post Office Ltd
On 15 Jul 2015, at 20:17, Mark R Davies wrote:
All
Patrick and I met with Andrew Bridgen MP and Kevan Jones MP today, at a meeting
chaired by Baroness Neville-Rolfe.
The meeting was held up as Mr Jones was late. Mr Bridgen then ran through his
central points
This included no new allegations and was broadly a repeat of his adjournment debate
script. He raised some new unnamed cases where he alleged there had been unfair
treatment of postmasters.
He accused the Post Office of:
- abusing its prosecution powers and using plea bargaining to "cajole" people into
accepting guilty pleas
- curtailing Second Sight's work and the mediation scheme
- reducing scope of SS work and forcing SS to moderate its reports
- not co-operating with SS
- having "Dickensian" contract arrangements with postmasters, "suspicious" suspense
account procedure and an inadequate helpline
- using Bracknell and remote access to target and implicate postmasters of
wrongdoing
Mr Jones endorsed the above and accused the Post Office of:
- using the mediation scheme as a smokescreen to pass the statute of limitations
- a deliberate and planned cover up
- "leaning" on SS
- "gagging" Panorama
He accused Patrick and I of lying to him and Mr Bridgen in the meeting. We did not.
The MPs asked the minister:
- to call an independent inquiry
- to meet with Second Sight
They asked us:
- to provide details of how much we had paid out to settle claims
We agreed:
- to write to both MPs reiterating our offer to meet (Mr Bridgen said he would put
this to his constituent: Mr Jones rebuffed the offer)
It was a very unpleasant meeting at which Patrick and I were robust but respectful in
making our case in face of an approach which was volatile and at times aggressive.
There was no interest from either MP in listening to our position. Mr Jones refused
to shake hands at the end.
The MPs made personal attacks on colleagues within Post Office and beyond. They
insisted that the BIS select committee would return to the issue.
BNR agreed to meet James Arbuthnot. She did not agree to meet Second Sight.
COMMENT
This was a very difficult meeting. We now need to ensure the minister understands
the position. While she was supportive, there is a risk that the complexity of the issue
plus MP interpretation of that complexity, causes the search for simple "solutions"
which we know do not exist.
We repeated our offer to go through their individual cases with MPs over and over
again, so that they might have the benefit of the full facts. 'We don't trust you" was
their rejoinder.
They relentlessly pushed on how many cases we have mediated and what settlements
we have paid. Within the boundaries of what we were able to say, we referenced that
some cases had been resolved and settlements went across a range.
They were insistent that they should be able to meet with Second Sight but we had
no doubt "gagged them". We pointed out that they had written 2 reports which were
widely available but that they had no locus on these disputes. "What have you got to
hide..."
The only good thing to come out of it, partly thanks to the Minister's persistence, was
an acceptance by Bridgen that he would meet us with Rudkin if the latter agreed.
The Minister did appear to agree that it would be rather difficult to make progress if
the MPs refused to engaged with the rest of the story.
We will meet with BIS officials to discuss next steps which will include writing to the
MPs to reiterate the offer to meet. We are also actively exploring other avenues to
get the facts a wider audience.
Mark Davies
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
Post Office Ltd
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