Tories Fudging Leveson?

[ChillDoubt]

Or Dodgy Dave worried about upsetting/prejudicing his best pal Miss Brooks?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21785611

[jake-the-peg]

Hmm

Does anybody else think that a PM who's first weeks had more meetings with the Murdochs than the Queen, and who famously went riding with Rebecca Brooks is a tad lacking in credibility when it comes to defending press freedoms on behalf of us all?

[youngmafbog]

No Jake, but at the same time I am not happy about gagging the press. And dont forget groups like hacked off are nly trying to protect their mates.

For instance I am sure Hulne would have got away with it if the press were gagged. (Just an example, there are others for other Political parties). And outside politics what if another Saville?

I think this needs to go beyond party politics.

[ChillDoubt]

Totally agree jtp.

Leveson ought to be implemented in full at the earliest opportunity and I'm frankly amazed it's become a matter of political in-fighting and party politics.

[jake-the-peg]

Nobody's trying to Gag the press

This is a complete straw man argument put about by the press to muddy the waters.

Hulne, MPs expenses etc. all of these are completely covered by a public interest defense.

Let's not forget what we're talking about here - legal teeth to existing regulations.


As the press and so many here seem to think 'Nothing to hide, Nothing to fear'

We have seen people like Prison Officers and Policemen prosecuted for accepting bribes from reporters.

Yet the moment it is suggested that those newspapers should face legal sanctions for such behaviour we hear a load of whining about press freedom.

The laughable fact is that US law makes it illegal to bribe foreign government staff.

Murdochs journalists may have broken US law in this behaviour but not UK law!

[youngmafbog]

If only it was that simple Jake.

The problem is that it has the potential to be abused the other way.

Correcting one mistake to create another is not a good way to go.

I hear what you are saying and agree something needs to be done but what; and that is the thorny question.

Surely bribery of a UK government official is illegal ? Paying for a story may not be illegal though as I would guess you have to prove the money changed the behavior of the individual and perhaps should be.

[mikey4444]

All this has a silver lining, in that the so-called coalition will become even more unstable, thus forcing an early election. Then we have the chance to get rid of the Tories for another few years.

Come on Cleggie...where are your balls man !

[anotheoldgit]

We do not want a gagged press in Britain, even though some would wish it to be.

If we had had a gagged press we might never have found out about the politician's expenses fiddles.

[Gromit]

We found out about MPs expenses because it was ILLEGALLY leaked to the Daily Telegraph. And the proposed changes have a public interest clause, which MPs expenses would obviously cover.

And the press will not be gagged. At the moment they (or some parts) are out of control and illegal activities and downright grusome practices (hacking a dead girl's phone) have occurred. While the press are allowed to police themselves, no sanction or deterents are being applied.

The current self regulation is failing because of the vested interests of proprietors and editors. The press needs an independent regulator. Independent of the proprietors and Independent of the Government.

It is the only sensible course. Mechanisms to keep it far enough away from the influence of the Government should not be a problem and realatively easy to apply.

[ChillDoubt]

Come on Cleggie...where are your balls man !
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Nestled in DC's palm, where they've always been.