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Dear Chairman,
I trust this message finds you well. As we prepare for the upcoming board meeting, I wish to draw your
attention to several critical matters to consider and discuss further:
Confidential Email on Project Pineapple: As you are aware it has come to my attention that Nick sent a
confidential email on Project Pineapple to the individuals involved without authorisation. As a result, I sent
an email raising serious question about how and why this has happened however, my response remains
unanswered since my communication on Thursday 18" January. Would this lack of respect and response
be the same if it was another NED or is it because I am PM?
Role of Legal: It's crucial to address concerns regarding the effectiveness and scope of our legal team's
activities. Despite ongoing investigations spanning years, over 40 employees remain employed within the
organisation, whose continued presence raises serious questions about our hiring and retention policies
causing embarrassment for POL. Additionally, the recurrence of past issues, such as rehiring individuals like
Brian Trotter, highlights a lack of control and accountability within our legal operations over a period.
The ITV documentary captured the tone and feel of being a Postmaster in the past however, I can say it’s
still the same, the mafia culture and Postmaster discrimination are rife in this organisation as proved by
quotes and actions from individuals and their attitudes towards PM’s. The is evident with the tone and
approach of ongoing investigations with postmasters which mirror past patterns, indicating a massive
concern with the lack of progress and accountability. The presence of seemingly untouchable individuals
within the legal team exacerbates this situation, contributing to the current state of disarray.
I feel we must reassess the legal team's remit within the organisation because they have failed and we
need to provide clarity on their role moving forward. The current situation, characterised by a multitude of
selective investigations and a crippling impact on day-to-day operations, is untenable and requires
immediate attention.
Regarding specific actions, it is proposed that we conduct a comprehensive review and adjustment of the
job role for our seniors team members within legal. Such a measure is essential for promoting
transparency, accountability, and changing the broken investigation culture within our organisation and
attempting to become PM-centric.
Culture: Postmaster discrimination must end immediately, this rhetoric that they are all on the take and
are the same is unacceptable. Richard Taylor comments are common within the walls of POL and I was
stunned to learn this also the businesses legal position as the chairman confirmed to me after my
persistent requests for clarity.
The CRO informing the board of extreme stories again is unhelpful and lacks integrity but then wants PMs
to pay 100% for automation and not strategic partners. Also failure to deliver and still receiving a bonus
must end. The culture within this business is toxic and it needs more PMs involved in the entire
organisation to help it refocus.
A Comprehensive re-evaluation of the Retail and Postmaster Engagement Team due to their evident lack
of effectiveness in addressing critical issues impacting our organisation. It has become increasingly clear
that the current team's performance falls short in several key areas, significantly jeopardising our
relationships with crucial stakeholders and hindering our ability to support and empower our Postmasters
(PMs) effectively.
First and foremost, the team's inability to adapt to the evolving needs of PMs has resulted in strained
relationships with essential partners such as NFSP and VOP. This lack of collaborative synergy undermines
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our collective efforts and impedes progress towards shared objectives. Moreover, they have completely
missed the key proposal for an oversight committee by both NFSP and VOP which highlights the need for a
fresh approach to governance and accountability within our organisation. The current team's leadership
fails to inspire confidence in stakeholders instead of have been persistent in changing PMs NED’s which the
network feel gives the POL management a free run again of no accountability for a minimum 18 months.
Additionally, the team's track record of unresolved action points, including longstanding issues with from
strategy days in 2022, DMBS, and the delayed implementation of a branch profitability database, providing
product probability highlights their failure to execute strategic initiatives efficiently.
Another example is their attitude of not wanting to distribute the recent PM’s survey due to it not
providing favourable results, this was evident on several occasions from various members of the team. PM
profitability is declining and they working harder than ever has created a disgruntled network, such
oversights not only impede operational effectiveness but also reflect negatively on our organisation's
reputation and credibility and prove our culture is still dysfunctional.
Moreover, recent incidents, such as inputting stamps on PMs Horizon terminal without there knowledge,
and the mishandling of PM Leena's case in Hampshire which was not brought to board due to it being a
team error however, extreme Postmaster negligence stories are. This underscores systemic deficiencies in
the team's culture, fairness, and lack accountability, further necessitating a thorough reassessment of its
composition and leadership.
Individuals within this team have several complaints against them and investigations seem to have been
ignored. The CEO has also mentioned team members as untouchable, and their performance levels and
delivery are not good enough on several occasions and decisions would be made but they still haven’t yet
they still received their bonuses.
Investigation of NDA's: A thorough investigation into all Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA's) executed
since CEO Nick assumed office is crucial. During the select committee hearing Nick was asked if he was
aware of any such agreements and he advised No, it is crucial we are transparent with the select
committee but also to protect our CEO with accurate information, can we investigate this?
Additionally, urgent steps are required to revoke NDA's with external entities, such as Fujitsu or Second
Sight, linked to the Horizon scandal. This decision should be communicated to the public promptly in order
to show we as a board want to help with justice and the inquiry.
Establishment of a PM Oversight Committee: In light of the evolving landscape, I recommend the
immediate establishment of an oversight committee ASAP featuring Postmasters and NEDs as its core
members. This committee must be empowered with clearly defined terms of reference and a mandate to
proactively take action and ensure accountability among stakeholders. Defining clear terms of reference
for the committee is essential to challenge cultural and procedural aspects of the organisation. The
establishment of such a committee has been strongly advocated for by the voice of postmasters, the
National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP), and existing Postmaster NEDs.
In order to ensure the effective operation of the committee and align with the business's goal of becoming
postmaster-centric, I feel it is imperative to grant existing Postmaster NEDs an additional term. Our
understanding continued involvement is vital for the success of the committee and the realisation of our
aspiration to be postmaster-focused and ensure our business never has untouchable employees and the
lesson of the past are learnt and this business finally start the journey to become Postmaster centric.
I appreciate your attention to these matters and eagerly anticipate addressing them collectively during our
scheduled board meeting.