17 large brown envelopes in ODPM out tray

[Kryten]

Very good former journalist colleague (known him for 14 years) who is now a senior Government press officer ... I can't reveal which ministry ... more than his job and civil service pension is worth.
He has been keeping tabs on Falmer for us for the past seven months or so.
He rang me 40 mins ago .. first opportunity to post.
It ties in with what the Argus has been told.
Apparently the senior civil servant in OPDM post room was on a half day on Friday, otherwise they would have gone out them.
NO IDEA of contents however!

okay, thanks


tommorow at the earliest

 

[On the Left Wing]

I would imagine that the big players (ie Council, Knight, Perry and the opposition) would have been tipped off either by officially phone or by their own ODPM "contacts" ....

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

so we're waiting for a wanker from london to drive down with some envelopes

put your f***ing foot down mate

 

[GUNTER]

One would imagine the decision will be made official tomorrow in that case.

 

[m20gull]

Right, that's it, I'm off to do some work at last.

 

[CHAPPERS]

First time the Uni will know about it is when the caretakers recieve the letter by recorded delivery, they're all good boys.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

They prob got them yesterday, however dick knight and perry are like two kids with a level results.

you open it
no you open it
i cant bare to open it
please you do it
etc

 

[Gazwag]

and if one brown envelope should get blown away

there'll be

16 large brown envelopes in ODPM out tray

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

has your argus friend got back yet chappers?

 

[On the Left Wing]

Just re-read short hand and the envelopes are WHITE (not brown!)

 

[alan partridge]

Just re-read short hand and the envelopes are WHITE (not brown!)

I can rest easy now

 

[Gazwag]

Just re-read short hand and the envelopes are WHITE (not brown!)

that'll be the porno in the brown envelopes then

 

[:J)]

Just re-read short hand and the envelopes are WHITE (not brown!)

No - the brown ones were sent to Chesterfield!

 

[On the Left Wing]

Think my journalist instincts wished them BROWN … to create more of an aura of a political thriller! The short hand outline for Brown and White are very different so apologies for the inaccuracy at this very important time

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Good work otlw. Keep your mother informed.

 

[SK1NT]

same time tomorrow then lads. 11am

 

[Superseagull]

Have been thinking about all this whilst eating my lunch. A couple of points to consider....

1. Would the ODPM really post the letters on a Friday? Some people would get a delivery on the Saturday, but the letters that are sent to businesses would not be delivered until the Monday. This would be a bit unfair as everyone is supposed to know at the same time (or at least the same day).

Far more likely they are posted on a Monday to arrive on a Tuesday to coincide with an official announcement by the ODPM.

2. The press are bound to find out before it is officially announced. Therefore I would imagine the ODPM has probably made sure all the local media have been told not to say anything until it is official. My guess is the Argus has jumped the gun this morning believing it would be announced sometime today. They are now probably wishing they had not printed anything!

 

[Lammy]

Have been thinking about all this whilst eating my lunch. A couple of points to consider....

1. Would the ODPM really post the letters on a Friday? Some people would get a delivery on the Saturday, but the letters that are sent to businesses would not be delivered until the Monday. This would be a bit unfair as everyone is supposed to know at the same time (or at least the same day).

Far more likely they are posted on a Monday to arrive on a Tuesday to coincide with an official announcement by the ODPM.

2. The press are bound to find out before it is officially announced. Therefore I would imagine the ODPM has probably made sure all the local media have been told not to say anything until it is official. My guess is the Argus has jumped the gun this morning believing it would be announced sometime today. They are now probably wishing they had not printed anything!

You can't guarentee the arrival of ANY post at a given time. What I suspect would happen is that all parties are notifies by email/fax/phone with the decision being confirmed in writing. This way everyone knows at the same time and also receives an official document aswell.

Of course it is likely that this information will be leaked first. However, I'm not sure we will trace teh leak here as we are relying on someone counting the envelopes in 2 Jag's out-tray as out best source of info!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

There are 17 large brown envelopes sitting in the ODPM out-tray addressed to various people with a direct interest in Falmer including Martin Perry, Dick Knight, Brighton and Hove Council, Norman Baker MP, Desmond Turner MP, David Lepper MP and a couple of businesses that sound like legal companies plus nine others.

The envelopes were placed there on Friday afternoon and waiting to go out by First Class Recorded delivery.

So open one of them then

 

[On the Left Wing]

The press are bound to find out before it is officially announced. Therefore I would imagine the ODPM has probably made sure all the local media have been told not to say anything until it is official. My guess is the Argus has jumped the gun this morning believing it would be announced sometime today. They are now probably wishing they had not printed anything!

Having been in newspapers for almost 20 years (until I jumped ship to local government PR four years ago) the way these things usually work is that the interested print and broadcast media (newspapers, sports mags, TV and radio) would have been emailed and/or faxed an Embargoed Press Notice, which will probably detail the decision on Falmer. Most news editors will not breach an Embargo (or they will find themselves off the ministry press loop). The Argus has got round this partly by just saying the announcement is being made, but NOT detailing what it says. My guess is the embargo will be either for mid afternoon today or 12 midnight or 6am tomorrow ... at a push it could even be mid morning tomorrow.
I don't know whether the envelopes lying around since Friday was deliberate (ie a senior civil servant telling them to hold) or due to the person having a half day!