As I watched the excellent Toby Jones as Alan Bates in ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, I knew the public, on seeing this dramatised version (only three people examined in any depth) would react, following, as usual, media coverage.
But, what most impressed me was when Bates decided to hold a gathering somewhere in the middle of the UK, where a few like minded victims could meet and compare notes.
Us victims of the False Allegations Industry are hundreds of thousands. If only a hundred got together, it could get huge media coverage - at least local. if not national. And, in my experience (as well as that of other friends like Simon Warr) these things can avalanche.
Bates only got a dozen or so to that first meeting in a church hall - but it lit the fuse.
I decided I’d be happy to fork our for a larger venue, again in middle England (Birmingham) to draw attention to us victims of false allegations. Exposing our experiences with bent or incompetent police, lawyers, social services, divorced partners, etc.
There are many well intended groups catering to specific victims but I reckon we need an umbrella incident to illustrate just how many of us there are. And, not ONLINE. Too many of those, too easy to attend. No effort. One reason I hate online - some of it; days gone by if we wanted to know something we had to go to a library - hard work. These days it’s a click.
So I started asking around. Almost everyone said “great idea BUT…”
And the BUT was varied.
The problem that we don’t have an easily understood simple explanation - HORIZON.
These days, if you can’t explain it in a few words, people’s attention spans disappear.
The problem is that that media focus on one thing and the fact that my wrongful conviction in 2001 has not yet been overturned (I’m still fighting - the CCRC has my latest application) means they are likely to focus on people like myself who are still technically convicted.
The same reason why Jo Hamilton in the Post Office scandal could not appear as a witness.
The problem that even those NOT convicted, like my friends Paul Gambaccini, Cliff Richard and Nigel Evans MP, tend to drift away from campaigning as the years go by. I asked Andrew Malkinson to be Spokesperson but he cannot even get compensation yet and is living in a tent in Spain!
My idea - Do Not Vote for a candidate at upcoming elections unless they agree, in writing, to support urgent changes to the system - was not supported. Most people feel politicians make a difference (they don’t) and it matters which party governs (it doesn’t). And, politicians only support populist vote getting slogans and convicted prisoners never get support (unless a TV show has impact). “Vote for a paedo apologist”? Not a good look for a poster.
I’m not depressed. I have quite enough battles of my own to fight. Quashing my 2001 wrongful conviction (dozens since have failed at trial including one in 2018). A civil case. Probable future health issues (I’m in my 80th year). I really cannot afford to fund such a gathering.
So NOT ONLY THE POST OFFICE is not happening. I’ll continue to support those brave fighters battling the incredibly powerful False Allegations Industry. But No NOTPO!
By Jonathan King
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