From Susan Crichton that due to advice from external lawyers, there was a need from external lawyers, there was a need for from external lawyers, there was a need for a from external lawyers, there was a need for a review to ensure that proper need for a review to ensure that proper disclosure had been given in previous proper disclosure had been given in previous criminal cases. Yes. You say that previous criminal cases. Yes. You say that you previous criminal cases. Yes. You say that you had a conversation with lestey say that you had a conversation with lestey saut say that you had a conversation with lesley saul in which she told you that the lesley saul in which she told you that The Post Office had been advised that The Post Office had been advised that the expert with witness that the advised that the expert with witness that The Post Office had used in crimihat that The Post Office had used in criminal cases to give evidence about criminal cases to give evidence about horizon had failed to mention that there about horizon had failed to mention that there were bugs in horizon, ihctudihg that there were bugs in horizon, including in the seam is the case. You tell including in the seam is the case. You tell us including in the seam is the case. You tell us that in your statement. Yes, you tell us that in your statement. Yes. Thats you tell us that in your statement. Yes, thats right. Can you tell us that in your statement. Yes, thats right. You tell us that in your statement. Yes, thats right. Can we please try to in yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down the yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down the date yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down the date on yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down the date on which yes, thats right. Can we please try to pin down the date on which youl to pin down the date on which you had knowledge of a problem on The Post Offices Expert Evidence . Its difficult to find the date exactly. I remember that i. Its difficult to find the date exactly. I rememberthat i. So, i learned of it first from leslie saul, not from Susan Crichton. What happened was i passed leslie saul in the corridor. She was looking particularly concerned or grumpy about something and i asked her what was the matter. She said that she had just heard that. I dont know that she said this, but i am assuming from susan, that the post Office Expert from fujitsu, who we had used in past cases, now had to be stood down because he had not revealed, and as i said yesterday, i think one or two bugs that he knew about in the case, and thats right, i think it was mrs misras. And the reason leslie saul explained that he hadnt revealed the bugs in that case is that he hadnt been. Mrs misery but i was on. Sorry the other way round, her case was on Legacy Horizon and these hadnt come into effect on horizon. The Legacy Horizon and these hadnt come into effect on horizon. Into effect on horizon. The way you tell it there into effect on horizon. The way you tell it there is into effect on horizon. The way you tell it there is that into effect on horizon. The way you tell it there is that leslie into effect on horizon. The way you tell it there is that leslie saul tell it there is that leslie saul was telling you that expat had failed was telling you that expat had failed to was telling you that expat had failed to mention bugs in one case and that failed to mention bugs in one case and that was seen in your Witness Statement and that was seen in your Witness Statement you say she told you that he had statement you say she told you that he had failed to give disclosure in crimihat he had failed to give disclosure in criminal cases, including simon misra seema misra. Seema misra. I spoke to susan within a day seema misra. I spoke to susan within a day or seema misra. I spoke to susan within a day or so seema misra. I spoke to susan within a day or so of seema misra. I spoke to susan within a day or so of that within a day or so of that conversation. If you can date when susan found out, it would have been just before that, because leslie saul could only have found out from susan. Br; saul could only have found out from susan. � ,. Saul could only have found out from susan. � ,. Susan. By this time, and i will call it mid2013. Susan. By this time, and i will call it mid2013. You susan. By this time, and i will call it mid2013, you had susan. By this time, and i will call it mid2013, you had been susan. By this time, and i will call. It mid2013, you had been engaged susan. By this time, and i will call it mid2013, you had been engaged on it mid 2013, you had been engaged On The Issues it mid 2013, you had been engaged On The Issues of it mid 2013, you had been engaged On The Issues of Horizon Integrity for some the issues of Horizon Integrity for some time, hadnt you . Yes. You knew there had some time, hadnt you . You knew there had been some time, hadnt you . Yes you knew there had been prosecutions and those there had been prosecutions and those prosecutions have been founded on evidence on horizon. Yes. When told on evidence on horizon. Yes. When totd try on evidence on horizon. Yes. When told by leslie saul and then Susan Crichton told by leslie saul and then Susan Crichton that there was an issue with the crichton that there was an issue with The Post Offices Expert Evidence that had been relied on to convicted evidence that had been relied on to convicted its Sub Postmasters, including convicted its Sub Postmasters, including seema misra. Where you concerned . Concerned . Yes, and i think susan had, and concerned . Yes, and i think susan had. And the concerned . Yes, and i think susan had, and the documentation concerned . Yes, and i think susan had, and the documentation saysl concerned . Yes, and i think susan i had, and the documentation says this i think, by the time i spoke to susan about it, she said, i think, that she had already put in chain and review by the external lawyers. And i think the documentation shows that she had done that before the written and advice from simon clarke came in on the 15th. Did written and advice from simon clarke came in on the 15th. Came in on the 15th. Did you, at the time, oin came in on the 15th. Did you, at the time. Join the came in on the 15th. Did you, at the time, join the dots came in on the 15th. Did you, at the time, join the dots between came in on the 15th. Did you, at the time, join the dots between the time, join the dots between the debates time, join the dots between the debates that we have seen you have in emaits debates that we have seen you have in e mails here with mr davies and leslie in e mails here with mr davies and leslie saut in e mails here with mr davies and leslie saul about the extent to which leslie saul about the extent to which The Post Office should announce that it was going to review past convictions, and the information that you were being given, information that you were being given, quite separately, that The Post Offices Expert Witness had failed post offices Expert Witness had failed to post offices Expert Witness had failed to make shin bugs of which he had knowledge in criminal cases. No, i did not had knowledge in criminal cases. I did not make had knowledge in criminal cases. Tic, i did not make that link. Why not . I think, because my. The e mails from mark davies and leslie saul are part of an iterative process as to how we took this important ongoing piece of work forwards. The conversation with Susan Crichton about the work that became known as this Sifter Review was. I think i took as a piece of reassurance that the lawyers were doing what they needed to do in terms of what i. And i think this was at the stage of what i learnt about disclosure. Of what i learnt about disclosure. Of what they needed to do in respect of disclosure. What i didnt know at this stage, to be very clear, was that by dint of what had happen with garethjenkins, The Post Office had breached its duties i dont think that was mentioned to me at the time. ,. ,. That was mentioned to me at the time. , ,. , time. Did you never at any time connect the time. Did you never at any time connect the longrunning time. Did you never at any time i connect the longrunning criticism connect the long running criticism of horizons connect the long running criticism of horizons integrity that had been forced of horizons integrity that had been forced upon The Post Office by Sub Postmasters for years and years with being Sub Postmasters for years and years with being informed that there was a problem with being informed that there was a problem with the Expert Evidence on which problem with the Expert Evidence on which the problem with the Expert Evidence on which The Post Office had relied about which The Post Office had relied about books . | which The Post Office had relied about books . Which The Post Office had relied about books . , � ,. About books . I dont think i made that connection about books . I dont think i made that connection because about books . I dont think i made that connection because it about books . I dont think i made that connection because it was. About books . I dont think i made l that connection because it was very specific. The information i was told was very specific which was that these two books were related to horizon online. There were two which were affected. By this stage, i knew about them, which affected iii were affected. By this stage, i knew about them, which affected 1a and 62 post office is a thing. All of whom had been informed, or in the case of the 14 had been informed, or in the case of the 1a were in the process of being informed, and the bugs had been fixed and the postmasters had not lost any money as a result of that. So, this was leslie saul� s frustration that these were two isolated incidents, Iaccept Frustration that these were two isolated incidents, i accept now thatis isolated incidents, i accept now that is incorrect, but that was what i was told. They had been fixed. There is even documentation that refers to them as a red herring, and the fact that susan was going through this Sifter Review, to me seemed reassuring. Tote through this Sifter Review, to me seemed reassuring. Through this Sifter Review, to me seemed reassuring. We are ust auoin to seemed reassuring. We are Ust Goingtocomei seemed reassuring. We are ust going to come away i seemed reassuring. We are ust going to come away from i seemed reassuring. We are just going to come away from eventsl seemed reassuring. We are just going to come away from events there in Central London on day two of evidence giving being given by paula vennells. You can follow that story on bbc news website. We are following day one of the general election campaign. Campaigning for the general election on ajuly, exactly six weeks away, is under way, the Party Leaders travelling around the country. My my colleagues ian watson and nick early are with Kia Star Matt and rishi sunak. Early are with Kia Star Matt and rishi sunak. ~. ,. ,. Rishi sunak. Where are you . We are in wales because rishi sunak. Where are you . We are in wales because rishi rishi sunak. Where are you . We are in wales because rishi sunak rishi sunak. Where are you . We are in wales because rishi sunak is in wales because rishi sunak is going on a Whistle Stop Tour of the uk. He is been in england already this morning. We think is going to scotland and Northern Ireland as well. He is trying to basically set the agenda for the selection. We saw him try to do it outside downing street in the rain yesterday. And now its time for it rishi sunak to ham his messages home about the economy being on a return, about labour not having a plan. Its not been a perfect day though yet for the Prime Minister. Really interesting that he had to concede this morning that there Rwanda Scheme would not come into operation before the general election. Basically, there would not be a plane taking off before the 4th of july. Rishi sunak is trying to use that to say, well, look this is a bit divided right now with the general election, because labour would scrap it. But remember, this scheme has been more than two years in gestation. They originally intended for planes to take off in the spring. So, it does feel like thatis the spring. So, it does feel like that is starting to slip again. Also, we have met the Migration Secretary this morning shown that the number of people coming into the uk, and although it is down a bit from the last year, it is still massive, 660,000, and that is a problem for the Prime Minister, because from what we heard earlier in the show this morning, he is the man to get on top of immigration. He is this is something, i have got the bold ideas, as he put it, to deal with it. So, pretty bad news for the Prime Minister. It will not be welcome by his team. But heres a confident prediction for you. When we see the Prime Minister rock up in a brewery in south wales in the next 20 minutes or so, a brewery in south wales in the next 20 minutes orso, he a brewery in south wales in the next 20 minutes or so, he will be full of beans. That is what he is trying to sell voters. He is full of energy, he is trying to win voters. I sell voters. He is full of energy, he is trying to win voters. I think we ust he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost the he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost the end he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost the end of he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost the end of that he is trying to win voters. I think we just lost the end of that on i he is trying to win voters. I think i we just lost the end of that on your Magical Mystery Tour. That is nick eardley travelling with the Prime Minister around the country. He was there in south wales. It is worth saying that this is just day one of what can be a pretty gruelling campaign for everybody involved, for the politicians, Party Leaders and journalists travelling right around the country as those leaders meet with voters. It was pretty clear this morning, we heard from rishi sunak earlier, he was pretty clean to pretty keen to paint the picture of a man who had experience of what it took to lead the chancellor during the pandemic of course bringing about that fellow scheme. He wants to paint himself as a safe pair of hands and one that will see the uk through what he has described as pretty turbulent years to come. On the other hand, we heard from the leader of the labour party. He was in gillingham in kent this morning. He was talking about a vote for labour being a vote for change. He said that conservatives have had 14 he said that conservatives have had iii years in office and have failed to deliver and they dont really have a plan about what comes left. I think its fair to say that we might see some of the personalities come out, it might be a clash of personalities where this thing comes a bit personal. Weve heard that from rishi sunak that keir starmer has no conviction. If you are watching on bbc two right now, you can watch politics live in the continuing coverage. We are going to continue our tool right around the country. Joining me now is our Political Correspondent iain watson in gillingham. We were talking this morning about it being a vote for change. Those are the words of keir starmer. I wonder what voters in kent are telling you this morning. It is the start of a six week campaign. There is all to play for, isnt there . There is indeed, ben. Certainly, labour have distilled the message into one placard. It says change. That is the key word. When they talk to the voters they need to win over, people say that it is time for a change. The sense you get from gelling as well. This was a seat won by labour under tony blair, but this has been held for some time by a conservative mp. That is what effectively labour are trying to say. It has been iii years of a conservative led government. This is Notjust Conservative led government. This is not just about conservative led government. This is notjust about rishi sunak, when you talk about personalities, it is about the conservatives record throughout that time. When labour left office, that is their claim, and they think that is that is what is resonating with voters. What is not yet clear, i think, in many voterss mines, is that they wanted to tune into a campaign, and they are not so clear yet about labours policy offer. I think well hear more about that as the Campaign Goes on. From keir starmer this morning when he was launching his campaign from the nearby gillingham football club, he did set out some of the narrow policies that labour would be campaigning over on the next six weeks. Recruiting more teachers and increasing nhs appointments, and although those were not on his pledge card, but that card with six priorities he unveiled last week, he did also talk specifically about the challenge that people have in areas like this trying to access housing, especially younger families. So, like this trying to access housing, especially youngerfamilies. So, i think those are the kind of themes we are going to hear across the next six weeks, which he thinks will help him win the election. Obviously with the conservatives, as we mention, he doesnt have a plan, and do you have the country the courage to put your own policies front and centre of this campaign. I think were going to hear more on those policies. He is insisting that labours was policies are all fully costed. But the consequence of this election, is if he is elected and gets into downing street injuly, he will have to take on the burden of paying out perhaps billions of pounds of compensation to the victims of infected blood. He said that labour would very much stick to the governments commitment. That is an open ended compensation scheme. But he still hasnt told us how that would be paid for. I think it would be a very difficult issue for the government to try to criticise labour run, given that rishi sunak chose to have an election at this time which could have gone until the end of the year. 5m . Time which could have gone until the end of the year end of the year. Stay with us. We ust want end of the year. Stay with us. We just want to end of the year. Stay with us. We just want to try end of the year. Stay with us. We just want to try and end of the year. Stay with us. We just want to try and establish end of the year. Stay with us. We | just want to try and establish that line again with nick eardley who is travelling with the Prime Minister. Its interesting those pledges, promises, priorities, whatever the leaders are calling them. We heard from man we heard from keir starmer with his pledges or mission statement. Im interested in those pledges that rishi sunak made, the five earlier in the year. Hes probably met that one on inflation. The imMigration Figures this morning suggesting that maybe immigration is going on the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do on the others, isnt there. Voters will be asking him on that. I on the others, isnt there. Voters will be asking him on that. I think that is absolutely will be asking him on that. I think that is absolutely right. Will be asking him on that. I think that is absolutely right. There will be asking him on that. I think. That is absolutely right. There were five. That was to halve inflation, which has more than happened. Its now down to 2. 3 . It was up at 11. 1 . The government promised to get debt down. It is projected to do that but a pretty long way into the distance. So i dont think that one can be considered accomplished at the moment. The economy has got a bit better, so there was a recession at the end of last year, a small one but a recession nevertheless. So rishi sunak will argue he has met that one. If you take the last two years as a whole, growth is pretty flat and has not happened in any serious way. Number two, to get nhs Waiting Lists down. That has been pretty tricky for the Prime Minister. They are properly not going to make that target. Another one was to stop the small boats which is slightly different from the one this morning. This morning was about legal migration. That was about legal migration. That was about illegal immigration. Thats the one where rishi sunak has probably a couple of challenges ahead because he said this morning that rwanda flights wont take off until after the general election now. He is trying to use it as a promise that the campaign, but the fact that it has been delayed it seems again is a challenge to say the least for the Prime Minister. The reason the Prime Minister has gone for an election now is simple. He thinks this is a good time to do it, and then uses in a place where he can sell it to the public is delivering. Thats a question for the voters, whether they will buy that he is responsible for inflation coming down and whether they believe the economy is growing in a meaningful way. The economy is growing in a meaningfulway. I the economy is growing in a meaningful way. I suspect it will also be a question of whether they feel that economic growth. There is a position that many people dont at the moment. They are meanings to there may be starting to, but they probably dont feel it in a meaningful way. Probably dont feel it in a meaningfulway. One probably dont feel it in a meaningful way. One other thing to mention is interesting that the Prime Minister has talked a lot about the smoking ban and the idea that the legal age for smoking will go that the legal age for smoking will 9 up that the legal age for smoking will go up one year every year to create what he calls a smoke free generation. He spoken about at this morning, but im not certain hes going to make it through parliament before parliament is shut down. We have been chatting to a few people involved in the process there who are not convinced it is going to. So we are trying to find out from the Prime Minister as well. Tote we are trying to find out from the Prime Minister as well. We are trying to find out from the Prime Minister as well. We will keep a close eye Prime Minister as well. We will keep a close eye on Prime Minister as well. We will keep a close eye on that. Prime minister as well. We will keep a close eye on that. It Prime Minister as well. We will keep a close eye on that. It looks Prime Minister as well. We will keep a close eye on that. It looks as a close eye on that. It looks as though you have arrived writer to where you are going. Well let you get on the bus. Report back when you know where you are, and will be back with you a little later. Nick eardley and his Magical Mystery Tour this morning on day one of what could be a pretty long campaign. Lets talk about all of the things we have heard so far this morning. Here with me is political journalist alicia fitzgerald. Lots to diejust lots to die just on just a one. Nick theyre making the point that both leaders will be judged on those pledges of promises and omissions they have laid out to voters. That really is a contract with the voters right now. Its not really a manifesto, but it says if you vote for us this is what will happen. But it might be a little bit cynical. Weve heard this sorts of promises before and here we are. The conservative promises have not been met. Conservative promises have not been met. , ,. , met. These five messages that Rishi Sunak Set Out met. These five messages that Rishi Sunak Set Out the met. These five messages that Rishi Sunak Set Out The Moment met. These five messages that Rishi Sunak Set Out The Moment he met. These five messages that rishi i sunak set out the moment he entered number ten has slightly haunted him throughout his time as Prime Minister. He said he set out these five goals of what he wanted to achieve by the end of his term as Prime Minister. We said that potentially good news that Migration Figures have dropped by 10 . Thats net migration which is inclusive of legal and illegal migration. The government will say it is thanks to measures that rishi sunak is put in place that they are saying that, and they will also use that to say that but only by voting for the Conservative Party again will you see that number decreased because they are on the right trajectory which is the line they want to push. But weve gotten off a lot of thing that both sides want to do. Keir starmer setting out six pledges last week. A lot of people is a reprise by the number six. Usually it is five or ten, but sex is very much keir starmer trying to one up rishi sunak and saying he has got five and ive got six, im the man for you. And saying these promises as such are areas in which he would focus. And that it is just the opening gambit and there is more to come. This is not what the government would look like that these are the areas where we want to work first. Absolutely. And hes already faced some criticism for these since last week. Why . Because after succeeding Jeremy Corbyn after that big defeat in 2019 where corbyn lost to boris johnson, keir starmer had some promises of his own. He said, as your labour leader, i will do x, y and z. He seems to have reneged on quite a few of those promises, and rishi sunak is coming forward and saying he is mrflip flop. That is something that keir starmer is accused of very often and rishi sunak can now use that attack plane. And from what we said this morning, really taken by the announcements from rishi sunak, he almost sort of distances himself from the Conservative Party. He talks about his record and experience, and his aptness for thejob. It his record and experience, and his aptness for the job. It is quite president ial, but it also speaks to some of that chaos that has gone on the tap behind that door over recent years. The tap behind that door over recent ears. ,. , y the tap behind that door over recent ears. ,. , � , the tap behind that door over recent years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, i years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, ithink. Years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, ithink. If years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, i think. If you i years. Absolutely. Its really fascinating, i think. If you didnt know better, i think if you heard rishi sunak� s speech this morning, you would think it was in opposition to fight and a current Prime Minister rather than the Prime Minister rather than the Prime Minister of the party that has been in power for minister of the party that has been in powerfor 1a minister of the party that has been in power for in years. Minister of the party that has been in powerfor in years. Iain duncan smith made the point that this happens in every time. In 19 89. Tony blair was fighting to gain power from the Conservative Party. Rishi sunak here is disassociating himself from in years of his own partys work and saying hes not liz truss, borisjohnson, but a candidate who can provide true conservativism. find candidate who can provide true conservativism. Candidate who can provide true conservativism. And the idea is, vote for us. Conservativism. And the idea is, vote for us, because conservativism. And the idea is, vote for us, because the conservativism. And the idea is, vote for us, because the idea i conservativism. And the idea is, vote for us, because the idea is| conservativism. And the idea is, i vote for us, because the idea is the plan is working. Thank you for joining us. Speaking of rishi sunak, as we said, discussing things at the first major event of the day, earlier on today, that was in ilkeston. He was answering questions and laying out what another term in office for the Conservative Party would look like. Even though theres more work to do, and i know it will take time for you to all see the benefits of that. The plan is working and we have that economic stability back. But with that, economic stability comes a choice. Do we want to turn those foundations into a more secure future for you, your families and our country . Do we want to build on that stability or do we want to risk all that progress . And as maggie said, go back to square one with more uncertainty and no plan. And thats the choice at this election. Now, when it comes to economic security, you know that i want to do that for you. Thats why were cutting taxes, cutting all of your taxes on average by about £900. The only certainty you get with the labour party when i talk about certainty is that they will run out of your money and they will put your taxes up as clear as night follows day. And we just ran the numbers the other week, all the things that they said that they want to do, all the things that they want to spend money on. You tot all of that up. Its going to cost you £2,000. Every Working Family in our country, £2,000 of extra tax rises. Thats what it means at a time when i want to get your taxes down and give you that financial security. Now, ithink, look, you all read the papers, you all watch the news. You know that the world is more uncertain, more dangerous than its been in decades. That was the Prime Minister talking this morning in ilkeston. He is now in barry in south wales. Not quite sure what hes being is shown there, but you can see the Prime Minister their meeting with voters who will be asked about what the term in office will look like and what his priorities will be as this campaign gets under way. Remember it is six weeks till the day until the uk goes to the polls. Im trying to work out what hes been shown, so lets have a listen. ~. ~ what hes been shown, so lets have a listen. ~. ,. , a listen. When we are drinking, so its a fine taste. A listen. When we are drinking, so its a fine taste. It a listen. When we are drinking, so its a fine taste. It means a listen. When we are drinking, so its a fine taste. It means that i its a fine taste. It means that its a fine taste. It means that its going its a fine taste. It means that its going to the centre at the hottont its going to the centre at the bottom. 50 its going to the centre at the bottom. H its going to the centre at the bottom. � ,. ,. ,. , bottom. So its ready to go tomorrow . Bottom. So its ready to go tomorrow . How bottom. So its ready to go tomorrow . How do bottom. So its ready to go tomorrow . How do you i bottom. So its ready to go| tomorrow . How do you get consistency . Tomorrow . How do you get consistency . Consistency l tomorrow . How do you get i consistency . Consistency isnt something consistency . Consistency isnt something we consistency . Consistency isnt something we strive consistency . Consistency isnt something we strive for consistency . Consistency isnt i something we strive for actually. Its very something we strive for actually. Its very difficult to be consistent unless its very difficult to be consistent unless you focus on it. We focus on innovating unless you focus on it. We focus on innovating actually. So that we can avoid innovating actually. So that we can avoid the innovating actually. So that we can avoid the problem. And it really matters im reliably informed that is the drowned out by the protesters on whitehall. This is where you start to get a sense of what is really happening. To get a sense of what is really happening to get a sense of what is really haueninu. , � ,. Happening. The worlds media there is cathered happening. The worlds media there is gathered and happening. The worlds media there is gathered and nick happening. The worlds media there is gathered and nick eardley happening. The worlds media there is gathered and nick eardley is i is gathered and nick eardley is there too. If he does speak we will take you back their life to hear what he has got to say. The politicians are really in campaigning mode. That is rishi sunak arriving in south wales. Keir starmer was speaking to supporters this morning. He was in kent and he was saying that a vote for labour would be a vote for change. At long last. The election has been called. The time has come and the wait is over. And that means through the power of our democracy, the voters now get to choose the power of the vote, the power each and every one of you has to change our country, our community, and your future for the better. So whether youre a family thats been battling the cost of living, dealing with anti social behavior, whether your business thats been struggling for years against the odds of the economy thats in chaos under this government, what youve served your country. Whatever way, this election is for you, because you now have the power, the chance, to end the chaos, to turn the page and to rebuild britain. And weve had 14 years of going round and round in circles, getting absolutely nowhere. Chaos and division. Feeding chaos and division. And that has a cost, a human cost. In milton keynes, i met will, whos a fireman, and he has a simple dream, not an unreasonable dream. He wants to own his own home. Hes got two extra jobs on top of being a fireman, but he still cant afford it because the chaos and division of this government has robbed him of that dream. That is the price that he is paying