The Numbers Game
Quote of the Day
"If we always do what we have always done, then we'll always get what we've always got.
Rupert Lowe
March 2025
25.3%
First-class post that Royal Mail failed to deliver on time in the year to March 2024, resulting in it being fined in Dcember 2024.
36%
Increase in the cost of a first-class stamp from April 2024 to April 2025.
Comment:
Perhaps this is to make the sale of Royal Mail to the new prospective owner more attractive.
January 2026
12
U-turns made by Boris Johnson's government between election in December 2019 and September 2020, when Keir Starmer declared that 'the only conclusion is serial incompetence'
14
U-turns made by Keir Starmer's government since July 2024, up to the Hillsborough Law climbdown on Jan 18th 2026
Comment:
This reminds us of the Byrds hit 'Turn Turn Turn.
January 2026
£825,000
Fine Betfred was handed in December 2025 for 'social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
£25.4m
Dividends Betfred paid to shareholders between October 2023 and March 2025
Comment:
Amazing, the only sure thing is to be a shareholder in a betting company
January 2026
2
Weeks that many South East Water customers were left without drinking water from late November 2025, with around 24,000 homes affcted.
8
Marks out of 10 that South East Water boss David Hinton gave himself and colleagues for their response to the crisis, when asked by MPs.
Comment:
Perhaps Hinto should have gone for 'Service Excellence' by insuring events could never happen.
August 2026
£24,000
Money spent by imprisoned former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell on 21 pens, ink refills, and pen pouches between 2016 and 2021
£2,301
Money spent by the Scottish Parliament on 14,437 pens between Jan 2016 and Oct 2022
Comment:
August 2026
£0
Severance payments Labour said in 2024 that ministers who leave their jobs for 'breaches of the ministerial code' would receive
£16,876
Severance payment Angela Rayner received after leaving government less than a year ago for breaching the ministerial code, which she is refusing to repay after her return to cabinet
Comment:
August 2026
£0
Compensation Fujitsu has so far paid to victims of the Post Office Scandal, caused in large part by the firm's Horizon IT system
£31.1m
Value of contract for police network software Fujitsu was awarded by the Home Office in late June
Comment:
We are a bit concerned that the police might one day soon find themselves on the wrong end of an almighty cock up Fujitsu. We thought they of all organisations would be alive to serial offenders
All numbers extracted from Private Eye
