Amazing that Newsnight ended tonight with no acknowledgment that, after 44 years, tonight's edition was the last in its traditional format of studio discussions and interviews, and lots of reporter films. From Tuesday onwards it will simply be a studio-based programme with

If you hear a politician say getting inflation down or keeping it down is all about the government’s spending, be sceptical. The inflation spike we’ve just been through was global: very little to do with the UK government’s spending - and very much to do with global shocks:

1/2 According to her witness statement, Jane MacLeod briefed the PO Board on the Swift Review findings & its recommendations for further investigations (p101); it was available to board members upon request. So did BIS representative Richard Callard read it &, if not, why not?

Paula Vennells has just admitted that getting reference to Horizon removed from the Royal Mail privatisation prospectus in 2013 was listed in her annual appraisal as one of her key achievements.

#PostOfficeScandal #PostOfficeInquiry #StateScandal #StateCoverUp
Revealing answers from PV to questions from Jason Beer KC on Govt knowledge and involvement as Single Shareholder.

Were ShEx/UKGI/Government aware of:

1. Views of Alan Bates and JFSA? YES.
2. Interest and

I am hearing rumours that former Post Office General Counsel Jane McLoed is refusing to attend the #PostOfficeInquiry and can't be compelled as she is currently abroad.

She was due to have appeared on 4 June. (web.archive.org/web/2024040821…) she is no longer on the schedule.

McLoed

If your former boss got in touch 5 years later wanting your help with some awkward documents - four times - what would you do? bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Sub-postmasters like Alan Bates concerned about wrongful convictions were self-indulgent 'malcontents', said Post Office's director of government affairs in 2015, Patrick Bourke. He also left some interesting facts out of a briefing for ministers: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

We’ve published the latest UK labour market figures.

Headline indicators for the UK labour market for January to March 2024 show:

· employment was 74.5%
· unemployment was 4.3%
· economic inactivity was 22.1%

Read Labour market overview ➡️ ons.gov.uk/employmentandl…

Simon Clarke statement to #PostOfficeInquiry says Post Office had an 'almost religious panic' about disclosing any problem with Horizon.
#PostOfficeScandal

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
Former top government lawyer hired by Post office decided not to meet 'tainted witness' - even though he knew he could be criticised for it and had read game-changing legal advice on it. Then didn't mention it in his review of subpostmasters' convictions.

Van den Bogerd admits that she *still got her bonus* in 2019 despite being found that year to have misled the courts.

Suggests protection of Post Office Ltd was incentivised above all moral considerations.

Yesterday’s The Times and The Sunday Times carried this by James Hurley - a leaked document shows the trade body in charge of Libor, the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), removed the word “lowest” from a draft of guidance as to how the rate should operate 4/10 thetimes.co.uk/article/docume…

The extraordinary story of Tom Hayes, the first of nine traders found guilty over interest rate ‘rigging’, as told brilliantly by Ruth Sunderland in weekend’s Mail on Sunday. Good intro for anyone who doesn’t know what happened to those made scapegoats for the banking crisis 1/10

3/3 Vennells’ update on Project Sparrow is heavily redacted:

The responsible way of running our economy is to borrow to make smart investments that boost our economy and improve people's lives. Investing in our schools, hospitals, housing and infrastructure creates economic benefits. 3/3

The chancellor might claim that borrowing rules prevent him from raising the money to repair our economy. But these arbitrary rules are imposed by this government on itself, and don't actually measure safe levels of borrowing or debt. 2/3

Our borrowing rules are out of line with economic reality. Everywhere you look, from our schools to hospitals to high streets, our country is falling apart - this is what we should be worried about rather than slightly higher borrowing. 1/3