Like most of the UK, perhaps a little late, I am fascinated and furious about the Sub-Postmasters’ scandal. Named the biggest miscarriage of justice in the United Kingdom, where hundreds of post office operators were wrongly convicted of theft and fraud when the real issue was a faulty IT system. This case has been going on for years, but a recent TV drama has ignited public consciousness.
This story was first reported in 1999, and a public enquiry is now underway with compensation and exoneration promised for the victims. The TV drama is powerful, features top British actors, and shows the power of campaigning. It was a long slog for those victims and their main organiser, Mr Alan Bates, who has been campaigning for justice since the early 2000s.
The Sub-Postmasters’ sense of community really struck me, they stuck together and supported each other no matter what. They never gave up even in the face of the seeming futility of their fight against a huge corporation and, by extension, the British government – the Post Office’s sole shareholder. Their quiet resilience resonated with me as well as their frustrations at the utter injustice of this case.
Remind you of anyone? Yes, you guessed it – unpaid carers!
As I watched the drama, literally coughing with rage (I’m still sick) I couldn’t help but think that unpaid carers could do with a hard-hitting drama of our own to get the public galvanised.
What would we need to make a ‘good’ story? I mean no offence, when I say ‘good’, as a communications professional, I mean ‘good’ in the sense that it would appeal to producers, and the general public. The actual story would, of course, be objectively awful. With my PR hat on, here is what we’d need to make an impactful drama:
- Relatable – a story and characters that the general public can all identify with.
- A David and Goliath element
- Some jeopardy or danger
- Obvious injustice to be resolved
- A resolution – or lack thereof
It feels like every unpaid carer story has all of those elements. We should tell anyone and everyone who will listen our unique stories. We never know where it will get us.
All of us can also support in other ways by getting involved in charities and campaigning groups- consistently raising awareness of the real life dramas unpaid carers live everyday.
Last year, I wrote to my local MP about the pitiful carers allowance and other issues unpaid carers face. I received a copy and pasted message that said nothing nor suggested any help. It was very unhelpful to say the least and I had no idea how to respond, or indeed, what to say to such a dismissive semi-automated response. The system is designed to make you give up. It is obscure, unhelpful, and sometimes intimidating.
I will try again this year to do what I can to advocate for unpaid carers, I will get guidance from charities and campaigning groups to make sure I am effective and find out where I can help.
You can do the same (if you’re not already), here are some charities and campaigning groups to look up:
If you’re in the UK and haven’t yet watched Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, you can watch it here: https://www.itv.com/watch/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office/10a0469/10a0469a0003
For those of outside the UK, you can get angry about this scandal by reading this or any news story about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56718036
As one of the characters says in the TV show: ‘You won’t know how the story ends.’ I hope the unpaid carers’ drama has a happy ending – but we’re the ones who are going to have to make it happen.
Number Eighteen, in the corner 