The SubPostmaster Magazine

Comment CEO Calum Greenhow
THE PAST MUST BE
must start by talking about
I
last month’s ITV drama Mr
Bates vs The Post Office
SORTED BUT WE
which was harrowing to
CANNOT watch. The Horizon IGNORE
scandal affected so
many colleagues, whether
OUR FUTURE
postmasters, their assistant employees
or even employees of Post Office Ltd
(PO), and as a former postmaster
myself it is only by sheer luck that
neither I nor my family were caught up
ext month is the NFSP’s Regional Secretaries and Regional
N
in it.
Annual Conference and it Directors talk about what you want
It was great to see how the show
is amazing received to see so that much we coverage. from All this at the business going forward.
are oversubscribed NFSP welcome due the approach While by there will be a variety of views
to the number of colleagues government who in relation on to finally what individual colleagues’
want to come. bringing justice to all of needs the victims are for of the future, by openly
the future and via your Branch and
AFTER HARROWING ITV DRAMA,
PO MUST FOCUS ON COSTS
of the PO financial performance and
the latest figures covering the year
April 2022 to March 2023 provide some
interesting statistics.
For example, the headlines on the
accounts in the press surround the
provision for Overturned Convictions,
which has been revised down from
£487 million to £244m.
This is due to the number of former
postmasters, assistants and employees
of PO that are coming forward to
request an appeal of their conviction,
being significantly less than was
predicted. The NFSP’s view is that all
convictions may be unsound, not just
those where Horizon was key, and
4
The SubPostmaster February 2024
NFSP Chief Executive Officer
Calum Greenhow
the network. However, we do need
We will ensure there are Horizon more scandal, and talking so many about it a collective
opportunities for delegates innocent to people being exonerated. consensus will emerge.
to change things for the future to
debate the pertinent We issues remain faced heavily involved Looking with the to that future for the ensure a greater level of oversight.
across the network.
Inquiry and have submitted
good
thousands
of not just the network but the While the past must be sorted, we
of pages of documents, but it clearly
More details are provided in this whole business, there has to be cannot ignore the postmasters of
wasn’t enough.
edition of The SubPostmaster fundamental change in how PO is today who have invested so much of
I’ve previously publicly apologised to
(pages 16-17). I look forward to governed. We cannot ignore that it
all victims of the Horizon scandal for
who they are along with, in some
meeting up with colleagues what they from endured and has will again been the failure in the
cases, life savings into this business
around the country reiterate and listening how sorry to I am governance that the NFSP that led to the Horizon and who want a future. The need for
their views. was unable to prevent it scandal from and so many therefore, of our we encourage as such many a change number is due of to bank the branches. public With the
Whilst there is a great happening. deal of colleagues whether former postmaster,
colleagues as possible perception to come towards advent of PO Banking as a Framework 4, now
speculation around Post As the Office Inquiry Ltd has shown, assistant other or employee forward of and PO request who an appeal. company and is also the time the for need PO to for really a push
(PO) of today and especially representative the past, bodies also have had had their lives However, so utterly there ruined. are other figures significant that improvement forward the Enhanced in the Post Office
postmasters ask me members, constantly which included Thankfully, our customers may not make have the such headlines relationship but are between model being postmasters
integrated into the
about the future. This
postmasters,
is why the
who are now
a strong
victims.
relationship
still of
with
significance.
us as their
These include: existing network, with a greater
and PO.
Today, the NFSP is trying to ensure Mails has declined by £99m since emphasis on banking. Now is the tim
theme of Conference this year is local postmaster and our staff, that The NFSP is proposing an
that all victims have their reputations 2012 but specifically £46m in the last for more banking services to be
Shaping Your Future. It is important the toxicity against PO is not
Oversight Committee. We have
restored and all their losses repaid. year alone due to the Royal Mail strikes available across the whole network.
that all colleagues do
Since
think
2012,
about
I have been
impacting
keeping track
customer
throughout
sessions
December,
across
the
checked
cyber-
it legally
Whilst
and
total
also
figures
with
for financial
attack in January and the overall
aggressive manner in which Royal Mail
discourages customers from using our
network.
This equates to over £26m in lost
revenue to the network, or over £2,300
per postmaster. This is why it is
imperative that we as a network are
able to do as much PUDO, Amazon,
Evri and DPD business as possible. Not
only that but we need to become the
mails hub in our locality.
Cash & Banking has risen by £99m
since 2012 and by £33m in the last year,
which is due to the exceptional work
colleagues do in serving their
customers and the decline in the
NFSP Chief Executive Officer
Calum Greenhow
corporate governance services have experts decreased who since 2012 by
£144m, agree this that last it year could has seen an
increase work of and £46m could but much of this is
done improve online and the has way very in little benefi
to postmasters’ which PO is remuneration such a
mortgages, governed. savings, loans, and credit
cards. There are two ways
PO’s brand awareness benefits from
in which PO can be
the goodwill of postmasters and
owned; as it is via the
signage around the country when it
government or via
comes to customer online
engagement mutualisation. yet, how much of PO’s
online However, growth actually benefits
postmaster mutualisation remuneration? would
Back require in 2012, significant PO had trading losses
of £116m ongoing however, capital these figures show
the funding third straight to cover year of the an increase i
costs of the Inquiry
and the
development of
NBIT, plus it would
require a stable
market to provide a
foundation on which
the business could
trade. Given PO
requires hundreds of
millions of pounds
4 The SubPostmaster April 2024