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From: Benjamin Tidswell
Sent: Sat 27/04/2024 1
2 AM (UTC)
To: Elliot Jacobs
Ce:
Subject: Re: Email from Saf and Elliot: Past Roles and Project Phoenix
Elliot,
It is on the agenda for Monday (and has been since you raised it last week). We will deal with it first, to make
sure there is sufficient time to discuss. I think your concerns are widely shared across the board.
Best wishes
Ben
Sent from my iPad
On 26 Apr 2024, at 15:27, Elliot Jacobs }
Thank you Nick.
Sent from Outlook for iOS
From: Nick Read
>; Gratton, Lorna - UKGI
—— GRO —p Brian Gaunt
Benjamin Tidswell <
“>; Saf ismail f
; Lorna Gratton }__
}; Nicola Marriott
Colleagues,
Be assured we are all troubled by the appalling developments and revelations that are emerging at the
Inquiry. It is deeply uncomfortable that the behaviours of current colleagues continue to emerge
through emails, docs and messages. These revelations will be with us for the next 12 weeks and despite
their best efforts, the Inquiry team will not be able to warn about docs that will emerge and indeed to
whom they are presented as part of the questioning at the Inquiry.
I also recognise we have not been as forthright in our actions as many would have liked...this is because
it is not straight forward. I am not making excuses. I too would like a simple solution and to package it all
up neatly for you and the media.
Karen and Nicola will present our approach and our actions on Monday evening for all who can stay onto
hear it. To be clear we all want the same outcome.
Best,
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Nick
From: Elliot Jacobs; GRO I
Sent: Friday, April 26,
To: Gratton, Lorna - UKGI +
(
Lorna Gratton
_} Owen Woodley
Subject: RE: Email from Saf and Elliot: Past Roles and Project Phoenix
Hi Lorna
The GT report is all about governance...this is a KEY governance issue.
It worries both Saf and I that the Board can convene for a discussion on a report from an
external firm but not actually get one from our own business. ..Perhaps this is why an external
review is necessary into this entire matter?
A tag-on conversation is not enough. We need this report as requested, no more extensions or
excuses.
Elliot and Saf
From: Gratton, Lorna - UKG!
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024 2:38 PM
Saf ismail
Amanda Burton
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Elliot, Saf,
I share your concern on this — though I thought we had time to discuss as a board at 6pm on Monday
(after the GT discussion meeting)?
Lorna
Lorna Gratton I Director
UK Government Investments
London, SW1H OET
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From: Elliot Jacobs
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024
To: Benjamin Tid i
ck Read
Gratton,
Ni
c: Karen McEwan ;
; Owen Woodley: -
: Past Roles and Project
Dear Members of the Board,
We are writing to you today with an urgent and deeply troubling concern that demands our
immediate attention and action.
This follows on the previous emails and requests (including just in the past few months:
14" Jan, 9" Feb, 16" and 19" April) - all of which have failed to result in any outcomes
beyond confirming we have 6 staff members classified as Phoenix and 127 in Past
Roles. The status of investigation into every single one of these 133 people remains
unknown. Despite repeated requests for updates and progress, it has become apparent
that there is a concerning lack of urgency and transparency surrounding ongoing
investigations within our organisation. Elliot was originally supposed to be part of the
Past Roles review board, but this never materialised and despite his last written
request of 19" April - which was concurred to by Ben Tidswell (as SID) but still this
request for information remains unanswered 7 days later.
Yesterday, further revelations were uncovered at the inquiry which (again) reflected
very badly on our inability to act decisively and in the interest of the business and its
stakeholders. Yesterday’s revelation that individuals responsible for postmaster
engagement today knew about remote access since 2011, yet chose to remain
silent is a damning indictment of their character and integrity. The response from
Postmasters overnight has - as you can imagine - been very loud and very clear.
It is unacceptable that individuals within our business, who were clearly implicated by Justice
Fraser as untrustworthy, continue to hold positions of influence and have also been highlighted
again in the ongoing Inquiry. These individuals are working in critical areas such as the
development of the NBIT system, Postmaster engagement, remediation and BAU. Their
involvement in shaping the future of our business is not only reckless but deeply damaging to our
credibility and integrity.
Our failure to be seen to act in this matter month after month is being viewed as denial and
evasion and cannot be allowed to persist if we are to move forward as a responsible and ethical
institution. We have both repeated raised concern with the pace and decision making in this
matter as well as the total lack of data on what is being done. Notwithstanding the need to be
thorough and accurate in our decisions — it is wholly in appropriate that there is no oversight or
information provided despite repeated written and verbal requests.
It is imperative that we demonstrate a commitment to accountability and transparency in
addressing these issues. We would suggest that the opportunity to provide confidence
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to the board in the ability of the company to carry out its own review has now past and
the need for a proper and fully independent review is now clearly evident. In light of
these serious concerns and continued Inquiry revelations, we again repeat our request
that all individuals within Phoenix and Past Roles related to these matters be
immediately suspended pending a full, independent investigation.
We cannot move forward as an organisation until we confront and address the deep-seated
cultural issues that have allowed such injustices to occur. Only by holding individuals accountable
for their actions and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability can we hope to regain
the trust and confidence of our stakeholders.
Therefore, I urge the Board to take immediate and decisive action to address these
concerns. The integrity of our organisation and the well-being of those who have been
harmed by our past actions depend on it.
We — as Postmaster NEDs — now demand a full report on the status of every one of the
Past Roles and Phoenix employees by close of business on Monday, 29" April, failing
which — in the absence of a Chair - we will have no choice but to request a meeting with
the Secretary of State to discuss this very important issue.
Saf Ismail & Elliot Jacobs
Postmaster NEDs
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