kate mcann ariving at leveson

In the daily mail as well

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240385/Leveson-report-Ex-Formula-One-boss-Max-Mosley-welcomes-verdict-press-ethics.html







Kate McCann wants media to treat people with 'care and consideration

ome newspapers, he said, had been reckless 'in prioritising sensational stories, almost irrespective of the harm that the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected'.

More...
'A law is needed to stop press havoc': Lord Leveson calls for 'genuinely independent and effective watchdog to protect innocent members of the public'
Lord Leveson's recipe for press regulation offers no answers on how to control the internet
Cameron: 'I'm NOT convinced by Leveson'. PM warns 'complicated plan to cross Rubicon' and regulate press by law COULD impinge on free speech
From Prince William's 'niggly' knee to the hacking of murdered Milly Dowler's phone: Seven years that led to the Leveson Inquiry
MPs attack plan to put press regulation under control of 'wholly unelected and unaccountable' state quango Ofcom
How David Cameron went to 'great lengths' to woo Murdoch empire before 2010 general election
'Yates of the Yard' got too close to News International friends during hacking probe, Lord Leveson finds
'Outrageous press' treated celebrities like 'commodities' while 'wreaking havoc with the lives of ordinary people'
His most damning criticism was reserved for coverage of Madeleine McCann's disappearance in Portugal in 2007.
'If ever there were an example of a story which ran totally out of control, this is one,' he said.
'The appetite for “news” became insatiable, and once the original story had run its course the desire to find new leads and “angles” began to take over, with their corollary tendencies of sensationalism and scandal.
'Not merely was the rigorous search for the truth the first principle to be sacrificed but also was any respect for the dignity, privacy and wellbeing of the McCanns.'

If only kate treated her own children with 'care and consideration'.

He is very right that ''the rigorous search for the truth the first principle to be sacrificed"
Not sure who he thinks he is placing inferences on who the holders of the truth are in this particular case.

Is it not about time for a resurrection?

AnnaEsse wrote:

almostgothic wrote:From Ed Miliband's statement on the Leveson Inquiry to the House of Commons:

Gerry and Kate McCann, who suffered so much and showed such courage.

Kate McCann, whose daughter remains missing, and who saw her private diary published by the News of the World for the sake of a story.

They gave evidence to this Inquiry to serve the wider public interest and we pay tribute to them.

It is they who must be at the forefront of our minds today.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-milibands-commons-statement-on-leveson-8368752.html

I wish I hadn't eaten my dinner before I read this .

Miliband is just jumping on something that he thinks will win him support. Stupid man.

Indeed, the man is a complete idiot.
Does he not wonder why no other politician is willing to be associated with the Mccann's anymore?
he is a joke; how he thinks that control of the press by politicians is compatible with 'labour' is beyond me.
Although I guess this is 'new labour'.

Cameron: 'I'm NOT convinced by Leveson'. PM warns 'complicated plan to cross Rubicon' and regulate press by law COULD impinge on free speech

Prime Minister tells MPs idea of legal enforcement is 'complicated' and risks future politicians cracking down on the press
Labour's Ed Miliband demands Lord Leveson's report be implemented in full as soon as possible
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg breaks convention to give separate Commons statement to back defy PM and back Leveson
Tory and Lib Dem leaders both oppose involving quango Ofcom in regulation and a call to impose tougher data protection rules on journalists

By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor

PUBLISHED: 15:18 GMT, 29 November 2012 | UPDATED: 20:53 GMT, 29 November 2012

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David Cameron today took just hours to throw out Lord Justice Leveson's plan for legislation to regulate the press, warning it could ‘infringe freedom of speech’.

The Prime Minister warned the judge’s 2,000-page report demanding media watchdog Ofcom oversee a new independent press body would put newspapers under the control of a government quango.

Mr Cameron put himself on a collision course with his deputy Nick Clegg, who said he could see no reason not to implement the report in full.

Cross-party talks are due to start tonight, with Labour leader Ed Miliband warning 'there can be no more last chance saloons' for the press.

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David Cameron said he was not convinced by Lord Leveson's call for a change in the law. Nick Clegg (left) has insisted on making a separate statement to the Commons

David Cameron said he was not convinced by Lord Leveson's call for a change in the law. Nick Clegg (left) has insisted on making a separate statement to the Commons

Lord Leveson has called for a new system of independent self-regulation, with a powerful new body able to impose fines of up to £1million and demand front page apologies.

But he wants to law change to give state watchdog Ofcom - which regulates TV, radio and phone and postal services - power to oversee the process.

More...

'A law is needed to stop press havoc': Lord Leveson calls for 'genuinely independent and effective watchdog to protect innocent members of the public'
'I hope it marks a new era for the press': Mother of missing Madeleine McCann urges Cameron to 'act swiftly' on Leveson report
'Outrageous press' treated celebrities like 'commodities' while 'wreaking havoc with the lives of ordinary people'
From Prince William's 'niggly' knee to the hacking of murdered Milly Dowler's phone: Seven years that led to the Leveson Inquiry
Lord Leveson's recipe for press regulation offers no answers on how to control the internet
MPs attack plan to put press regulation under control of 'wholly unelected and unaccountable' state quango Ofcom
How David Cameron went to 'great lengths' to woo Murdoch empire before 2010 general election
'Yates of the Yard' got too close to News International friends during hacking probe, Lord Leveson finds

Mr Cameron told MPs: ‘The danger is this would create a vehicle for politicians whether today or in the future to impose regulations on the press.

'I am not convinced at this stage that statute is necessary to achieve Lord Leveson’s intentions.'

He warned using the law to control the press would 'cross the Rubicon' - a dramatic reference to the army of Julius Casaer crossing the Rubicon river which was considered an act of insurrection.
Mr Cameron said he did not think powerful state body Ofcom could oversee press regulation when its chief is appointed by ministers

Mr Cameron said he did not think powerful state body Ofcom could oversee press regulation when its chief is appointed by ministers
Mr Cameron said the report vindicated his decision to stand by his Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt (centre) for his handling of the BSkyB deal when Culture Secretary

Mr Cameron said the report vindicated his decision to stand by his Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt (centre) for his handling of the BSkyB deal when Culture Secretary

The Prime Minister said he had 'serious concerns and misgivings' about Lord Leveson's proposals for a statutory underpinning to a new regulation system.

'For the first time we would have crossed the Rubicon, writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land.

'We should, I believe, be wary of any legislation which has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press.
CRUCIAL REPORT: LEVESON'S RECOMMENDATIONS AT A GLANCE

A new independent press watchdog, funded by the industry, able to impose fines of up to £1million and demand front page apologies
It would not have power to stop publication of a story
A change in law is needed to give Ofcom oversight of the independence on the body, including a review every two years
The chairman and board would not include any serving press journalists and would be appointed by an independent body. Politicians would not be involved
Papers who sign up will be given a ’kite mark’ and will be protected from big legal costs in the event of complaints going to court
Those who do not sign up will face bigger legal costs even if they win court cases and Ofcom will act as a regulatory backstop
A new legally-enforced free arbitration system would make it easier for people to complain about the press and get an apology
A hotline for journalists who feel under pressure to break the industry code of practice

'In this House, which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries, we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line.'

But Mr Clegg - who broke with parliamentary convention to make a separate statement in the Commons - bluntly dismissed Mr Cameron's call for a period of reflection on the controversial plans.

'We mustn't now prevaricate. I - like many people - am impatient for reform,' he said.

'And, bluntly, nothing I have seen so far in this debate suggests to me we will find a better solution than the one which has been proposed. Nor do I draw any hope from the repeated failure of pure self-regulation that we've seen over the last 60 years.

'We need to get on with this without delay. We owe it to the victims of these scandals, who have already waited too long for us to do the right thing.

'Too long for an independent press watchdog in which they can put their trust. I am determined we do not make them wait any more.'

But both Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg were united in opposition to some of the recommendations, including a plan for broadcasting watchdog Ofcom to oversee a new independent regulator.

The two leaders also expressed serious concerns about imposing tougher data protection rules on journalists.

Lord Justice Leveson called for significant restrictions to exemptions granted to reporters under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Powers for the Information Commissioner to prosecute the media, investigators and others for breaches should also be extended, he suggested.

Mr Cameron said he would be wary about any move to 'reduce the special treatment that journalists are afforded when dealing with personal data' which he said were vital for investigative journalism.

Mr Clegg also said he had 'specific concerns' about the idea.

Lord Justice Leveson's long-awaited report calls for a new law to 'underpin' an independent press watchdog, a tightening of data protection legislation to limit journalists' rights to use personal information and a change in the law to allow publishers to be penalised in libel and other cases if they refuse to be subject to the regulator.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Leveson reforms should be implemented in full
clegg

Mr Cameron has called for cross-party talks with Labour leader Ed Miliband (left) and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg (right) who will give a separate statement to the Commons as Deputy PM

The judge said the press had ignored its own code of conduct in a way that had 'wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people' on far too many occasions over the last decade.

Under Lord Leveson's plan a new independent regulatory body would be overseen by media watchdog Ofcom.

But Mr Cameron said the head of Ofcom is appointed by ministers, putting politicians too close to the process of regulating the press.
A protester wearing a mask depicting Rupert Murdoch (left) pretends to burn a mock Leveson Report as a protester wearing a mask of David Cameron sits gagged

A protester wearing a mask depicting Rupert Murdoch (left), News Corporation chief, pretends to burn a mock Leveson Report as a protester wearing a mask of David Cameron sits bound and gagged outside the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in London

'Ofcom is already a very powerful regulatory body and we should be trying to reduce concentrations of power rather than increase them.'

Instead Mr Cameron said he wanted the press industry to implement Leveson's principles for regulation, without Parliament changing the law.

Lord Black of Brentwood, the chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance, warned the Leveson proposals are ‘profoundly dangerous’ and would put a state regulator ‘at the very heart of the newsroom’.

The Tory peer, executive director of the Telegraph Media Group, has been a key figure in drawing up proposals for enhanced self-regulation.
Bob and Sally Dowler, the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, attended the release of the Leveson report in central London
Kate McCann, mother of missing child Madeleine, was at the QEII centre for the report's publication

Kate McCann, mother of missing child Madeleine, was at the QEII centre for the report's publication

He expressed ‘great caution expressed about the role of the statutory regulator Ofcom in the new system’.

And he added: ‘That would be a state regulator at the very heart of the newsroom. Would you agree with me that, if the industry can make rapid progress in the task of establishing a new system, such a move would not be just be profoundly dangerous but completely unnecessary?’

The PM welcomed Lord Leveson's key requirements for a new independent self-regulatory body, including independence of appointments and funding, a standards code, an arbitration service and a speedy complaints handling mechanism.

He said that it should have the power to demand prominent apologies and to impose fines of up to £1 million.

Mr Cameron said the press now had a 'limited period of time' to make its own changes, and the 'status quo' would not be allowed to continue.

But Labour leader Ed Miliband said: ‘We should put our faith in the recommendations of Lord Justice Leveson. There can be no more last chance saloons.'
Campaigners from the Hacked Off group have called on Mr Cameron to implement the Leveson Report in full

Campaigners from the Hacked Off group have called on Mr Cameron to implement the Leveson Report in full

Mr Miliband said cross-party talks 'must be about implementing these recommendations, not whether we implement them'.

He added: 'The press must be able to hold the powerful, especially us politicians, to account without fear or favour. That is part of the character of our country.

'But at the same time I do not want to live in a country where innocent families like the McCanns and the Dowlers can see their lives torn apart simply for the sake of profit. And where powerful interests in the press know they won't be held to account.'

In a sign of the growing coalition split over the Leveson report, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is due to give a separate statement to MPs later.

It is thought he is unhappy with Mr Cameron's initial willingness to give the press industry another chance to reform.

Cross-party talks are to begin today. All three leaders are likely to accept recommendations for frontbenchers to publish details of meetings and contact with media bosses.

Mr Cameron also said he supported Leveson's recommendations for ending the 'cosy relationship' between the press and the police.
Lord Justice Leveson poses with an executive summary of his report following an inquiry into media practices

Lord Justice Leveson poses with an executive summary of his report following an inquiry into media practices

The Premier also backed former culture secretary Jeremy Hunt who he said had endured 'a stream of allegations with great dignity' over his handling of the BSkyB bid, and the report confirmed that 'we were right to stand by him'.

However, the report did criticise the 'wisdom' of Mr Hunt allowing his special advisor Adam Smith to be put under huge pressure by BSkyB lobbyist Fred Michel.

In the report Mr Hunt is credited for putting in place ’wise and effective’ measures to prove he was handling the bid properly.

But he is criticised for failing to keep tabs on Mr Smith. The report said: 'Mr Smith already knew Mr Michel, and when faced with the intimacy, charm, volume and persistence of Mr Michel’s approaches, he was put in an extremely difficult position. Best practice... was not followed.’

Lord Leveson ’doubts the wisdom’ of giving Mr Smith the job.

’The consequential risks were then compounded by the cumulative effects of the lack of explicit clarity in Mr Smith’s role, the lack of express instruction that it was clear that he fully understood, and a lack of supervision by Mr Hunt.’ It all gave a ’perception of bias’, he added.

More widely Lord Leveson criticised the relationship between politicians and the press, saying the political parties had had 'too close a relationship with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest'.

'In part, this has simply been a matter of spending a disproportionate amount of time, attention and resource on this relationship in comparison to, and at the expense of, other legitimate claims in relation to the conduct of public affairs,' the report said.

'In part, it has been a matter of going too far in trying to control the supply of news and information to the public in return for the hope of favourable treatment by sections of the press, to a degree and and by means beyond what might be considered to be the fair and reasonable (albeit partisan) conduct of the public debate.'

VIDEO: Grumbles in HoC as Cameron warns of new, complicated press laws
'Legislation could infringe free speech': David Cameron's statement in full

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on today’s report from Lord Justice Leveson.

As we consider this report, we should consider the victims. We should remember how the parents of Millie Dowler, at their most vulnerable moment, had their daughter’s phone hacked and were followed and photographed.

How Christopher Jefferies’ reputation was destroyed by false accusations. And how the mother of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann, had her private diary printed without her permission and how she and her husband were falsely accused of keeping their daughter’s body in their freezer.

These victims – and many other innocent people who have never sought the limelight – have suffered in a way that we can barely begin to imagine.

That is why last Summer I asked Lord Justice Leveson to lead an independent inquiry.

It had the power to see any document and summon any witness under oath, to be examined by a barrister, in public.

It has been, as Lord Justice Leveson says, “the most public and the most concentrated look at the press that this country has seen”.

And I would like to thank Lord Justice Leveson and his entire team for the work they have undertaken.

Mr Speaker, Lord Justice Leveson makes findings and recommendations in three areas: on the relationship between the press and the police; on the relationship between the press and politicians; and on the relationship between the press and the public.

Let me take each in turn.

First, the press and the police.

Lord Justice Leveson makes clear that he doesn’t find a basis for challenging the integrity of the police.

But he does raise a number of areas which he felt were a cause for public concern such as tip-offs, off-the-record briefings and more broadly, “excessive proximity” between the press and the police.

He makes a number of recommendations including national guidance on appropriate gifts and hospitality; record-keeping of contact between very senior police officers and journalists and a 12-month ‘cooling-off’ period for senior police officers being employed by the press.

These are designed to break the perception of an excessively cosy relationship between the press and the police and we support these recommendations.

Mr Speaker, when I set up this Inquiry, I also said there would be a second part to investigate wrongdoing in the press and the police, including the conduct of the first police investigation.

This second stage cannot go ahead until the current criminal proceedings have concluded – but we remain committed to the Inquiry as it was first established.

Next, the relationship between politicians and the media.

As Lord Justice Leveson has found “over the last 30-35 years and probably much longer, the political parties of UK national Government and UK official Opposition, have had or developed too close a relationship with the press in a way that has not been in the public interest”.

I made this point last summer when I set up this Inquiry – and at the same time I set in train reforms to improve transparency.

This is the first government ever to publish details of meetings between senior politicians and proprietors, editors or senior executives, as Lord Justice Leveson recommends in his report.

He also recommends disclosing further information on the overall level of interaction between politicians and the press.

This would apply to all parties – and on the Government’s behalf I can say that we accept that recommendation.

Mr Speaker, during the course of this Inquiry a number of serious allegations were made and I want to deal with them directly.

First, that my party struck a deal with News International.

This is an allegation that was repeated again and again on the floor of this House – and at the Inquiry itself.

Lord Justice Leveson looked at this in detail – and rejects the allegation emphatically.

Let me read his conclusion: “the evidence does not, of course, establish anything resembling a ‘deal’ whereby News International’s support was traded for the expectation of policy favours”.

Those who repeatedly made these allegations – including Members of this House and I have to say the former Prime Minister – should now acknowledge they were wrong.

Second, it was alleged that I gave my Rt Hon Friend, the then Culture Secretary, now Health Secretary, the responsibility of handling the BSkyB bid in order to fix the outcome.

Lord Justice Leveson states clearly “the evidence does not begin to support a conclusion that the choice of Mr Hunt was the product of improper media pressure still less an attempt to guarantee a particular outcome to the process”.

Another allegation repeatedly made – and again shown to be wrong.

Third, there was the criticism that the then Culture Secretary had rigged the handling of the BSkyB bid.

Again, today’s report rejects that as well.

My Rt Hon. Friend “put in place robust systems to ensure that the remaining stages of the bid would be handled with fairness, impartiality and transparency…”

Indeed Lord Justice Leveson goes further, concluding that My Rt Hon Friend’s “extensive reliance on external advice… was a wise and effective means of helping him to keep to the statutory test”.

And he concludes “there is no credible evidence of actual bias”.

Of course as My Rt Hon Friend has said himself, there are lessons to learn about how quasi-judicial decisions are made and we must learn those lessons.

But let me say this: My Rt Hon Friend has endured a stream of allegations with great dignity.

The Report confirms something that we on this side of the House knew all along – we were right to stand by him.

And let me also say this Lord Justice Leveson finds in respect to my Rt Hon Friend the Business Secretary that he “acted with scrupulous care and impartiality”.

Next – and most important of all – let me turn to what Lord Justice Leveson says about the relationship between the press and the public.

As he says very clearly, even after 16 months of this Inquiry, he remains “…firmly of the belief that the British press – all of it – serves the country very well for the vast majority of the time.”

But on the culture, practices and ethics of some in the press, his words are very stark.

He finds that “…there have been too many times when, chasing the story, parts of the press have acted as if its own code, which it wrote, simply did not exist”.

He cites “press behaviour that, at times, can only be described as outrageous”.

He catalogues a number of examples of such behaviour, going wider than phone hacking.

He refers to “a recklessness in prioritising sensational stories, almost irrespective of the harm that the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected”.

He finds that “when the story is just too big and the public appetite too great, there has been significant and reckless disregard for accuracy”.

And he reports “a cultural tendency within parts of the press vigorously to resist or dismiss complainants almost as a matter of course”.

Mr Speaker, in a free society, the press are subject to criminal law, civil law and requirements for data protection.

But there should be a proper regulatory system as well to ensure that standards are upheld, complaints are heard and there is proper redress for those who have been wronged.

That is what the current system should have delivered. It has not.

And as Lord Justice Leveson says: the Press Complaints Commission is “neither a regulator, nor fit for purpose to fulfil that responsibility”. And that is why changes are urgently needed.

Mr Speaker, we welcome the fact that the press industry themselves have put forward their own proposals for a new system of regulation.

But we agree with Lord Justice Leveson that these proposals do not yet go far enough.

Mr Speaker, in Volume IV of the Report, Lord Justice Leveson sets out proposals for independent self-regulation organised by the media.

He details the key “requirements” that an independent self-regulatory body should meet, including: independence of appointments and funding; a standards code; an arbitration service; and a speedy complaint-handling mechanism – crucially it must have the power to demand up-front, prominent apologies and impose million-pound fines.

These are the Leveson principles.

They are the central recommendations of the report.

If they can be put in place, we truly will have a regulatory system that delivers public confidence, justice for the victims, and a step-change in the way the press is regulated in our country. I accept these principles and I hope the whole House will come behind them and the onus should now be on the press to implement them and implement them radically.

In support of this, Lord Justice Leveson makes some important proposals.

First, some changes to the Data Protection Act that would reduce the special treatment that journalists are afforded when dealing with personal data.

We must consider this very carefully – particularly the impact this could have on investigative journalism.

While I have only been able to make preliminary investigations about this since reading the Report, I am instinctively concerned about this proposal.

Second, he proposes changes to establish a system of incentives for each newspaper to take part in the system of self-regulation.

I agree that there should be incentives and believe those ones that he sets out – such as the award of costs and exemplary damages in litigation – could be effective.

He goes on to propose legislation that would help deliver those incentives and also – crucially – provide: “an independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body”.

This would, he says, “reassure the public that the basic requirements of independence and effectiveness were met and would continue to be met”.

Now I have some serious concerns and misgivings on this recommendation.

They break down into issues of principle, practicality and necessity.

The issue of principle is that for the first time we would have crossed the rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land.

We should I believe be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press.

In this House – which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries – we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line.

On the grounds of practicality, no matter how simple the intention of the new law, the legislation required to underpin the regulatory body would I believe become more complicated.

Paragraphs 71 and 72 in the Executive Summary begin to set out what would be needed in the legislation if refers to, for instance, validating the standards code and recognising the powers of the new body, for example.

And if you turn to page 1772 in Volume IV of the full report, it says this about the new law: it “must identify those legitimate requirements and provide a mechanism to recognise and certify that a new body meets them”.

The danger is that this would create a vehicle for politicians whether today or some time in the future to impose regulation and obligations on the press, something that Lord Justice Leveson himself wishes to avoid.

Third, on the grounds of necessity – I am not convinced at this stage that statute is necessary to achieve Lord Justice Leveson’s objectives.

I believe there may be alternative options for putting in place incentives, providing reassurance to the public and ensuring the Leveson principles of regulation are put in place and these options must be explored.

Mr Speaker, there are questions, including those on data protection, which are fundamental questions we must resolve in order to implement Lord Justice Leveson’s report.

I have therefore invited the Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to join me in cross-party talks, starting immediately after this statement.

Let me be clear: a regulatory system that complies with Leveson principles should be put in place rapidly. I favour giving the press a limited period of time in which to do this. They do not need to wait for all the other elements of Lord Justice Leveson’s Report to be implemented.

While no one wants to see full statutory regulation, let me stress: the status quo is not an option. Be in no doubt – we should be determined to see Lord Justice Leveson’s principles implemented.

Mr Speaker, there is much that we in this country can be proud of: the oldest democracy in the world; the freedom of speech; a free press; frank and healthy public debate.

But this Report lays bare that the system of press regulation we have is badly broken – and has let down victims badly. Our responsibility is to fix this.

The task for us now is to build this new system of press regulation that supports our great traditions of investigative journalism and of free speech but that protects the rights of the vulnerable and the innocent and commands the confidence of the whole country.

And I commend this statement to the House.

David Cameron spent £30,000 on having the Bathroom at No.10 refurbished, £3 million on a review of the Madeleine case, God knows how much on the Leveson Enquiry........he really is very profligate with taxpayers money.

The irony in all this is that only a few days ago we read in some of the Tabloids a report about Hewlett which was blatantly untrue but couldn't be challenged because Hewlett is dead. Kate knew this and obviously condoned it yet she had the b****y nerve to preach against the Press but didn't object to taking their money.

This is a comment from the Sky reporting .

=================================

RM678


4:09 PM on 29/11/2012

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Phew, thank goodness this report found that our Politicians are all completely innocent and not up to anything naughty. I haven't been this relieved since the Huttorn Inquiry.

lol she was hiding yesterday in photos so maybe she did feel a bit ashamed

Justiceforallkids wrote:lol she was hiding yesterday in photos so maybe she did feel a bit ashamed

Kate had a nerve to show up at all......even to be one of the few to make a speech.!!!!! She obviously thinks she can walk on water.

Cameron's stand for freedom: Defiant PM refuses to accept Leveson's call for laws to control the Press

Prime Minister tells MPs idea of legal enforcement is 'complicated' and risks future politicians cracking down on the press
Labour's Ed Miliband demands Lord Leveson's report be implemented in full as soon as possible
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg breaks convention to give separate Commons statement to defy PM and back Leveson
Tory and Lib Dem leaders both oppose involving quango Ofcom in regulation and a call to impose tougher data protection rules on journalists

By James Chapman

PUBLISHED: 22:57 GMT, 29 November 2012 | UPDATED: 01:37 GMT, 30 November 2012

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David Cameron refused to undermine 300 years of Press freedom yesterday as he rejected the key recommendations of the Leveson Report.

Minutes after Lord Justice Leveson delivered a blueprint three times the length of War and Peace condemning the 'outrageous' behaviour of newspapers, the PM made it clear he did not want any law governing their regulation.

The Leveson Report said the Press had 'wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people' for decades.

In contrast, the police were ruled to have conducted themselves with 'integrity' during the original investigation into phone hacking, while politicians were spared individual criticism – although all parties were accused of getting too close to the media.

Scroll down for video
Split: The views of Prime Minister David Cameron (left), leader of the opposition Ed Miliband (centre) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg differ over Leveson

Split: The views of Prime Minister David Cameron (left), leader of the opposition Ed Miliband (centre) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg differ over Leveson

Lord Justice Leveson insisted legislation was 'essential' to back up a new independent Press watchdog, which would have the power to issue fines of up to £1million.

But to the delight of the majority of Tory MPs, Mr Cameron warned that the proposals for sweeping legal changes had the 'potential to infringe free speech and the free Press'.


More...

How Leveson would restrain the Press: ‘Independent regulator’ would police newspapers – with Ofcom as enforcer
Investigative journalists who breach data protection rules could face two years’ jail
Politicians 'spent too much time courting media': But PM cleared of deal to win Murdoch's backing
Day the police got out of jail: Lord Leveson insists officers acted with integrity over phone hacking probe
From Plebgate to the Stephen Lawrence inquiry... the crackdown that could stifle your right to know
'Great journalism': How Leveson praised our Lawrence campaign
QUENTIN LETTS: Old liverspot waddled off with his hands behind his bottom
MAX HASTINGS: A rotten day for freedom: Yes, he got some things right. But to whitewash the politicians and the police while demanding the Press be shackled betrays dismaying naivety. Worse, it is a tragic blow to liberty and the public's right to know
STEPHEN GLOVER: By ignoring the lawless internet the judge proves he's on another planet

He insisted: 'It would be a dereliction of our duty in this House of Commons, which has stood up for freedom and a free Press year after year, century after century, to cross the Rubicon by legislating on the Press without thinking about it carefully first.'

Mr Cameron also rejected the suggestion that broadcasting regulator Ofcom should oversee a new Press watchdog and that journalists who breach data protection laws should be jailed for up to two years.
David Cameron said he was not convinced by Lord Leveson's call for a change in the law. Nick Clegg (left) has insisted on making a separate statement to the Commons

David Cameron said he was not convinced by Lord Leveson's call for a change in the law. Nick Clegg (left) insisted on making a separate statement to the Commons
Mr Cameron said he did not think powerful state body Ofcom could oversee press regulation when its chief is appointed by ministers

Mr Cameron said he did not think powerful state body Ofcom could oversee press regulation when its chief is appointed by ministers
Mr Cameron said the report vindicated his decision to stand by his Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt (centre) for his handling of the BSkyB deal when Culture Secretary

Mr Cameron said the report vindicated his decision to stand by his Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt (centre) for his handling of the BSkyB deal when Culture Secretary
A protester wearing a mask depicting Rupert Murdoch (left) pretends to burn a mock Leveson Report as a protester wearing a mask of David Cameron sits gagged

A protester wearing a mask depicting Rupert Murdoch (left), News Corporation chief, pretends to burn a mock Leveson Report as a protester wearing a mask of David Cameron sits bound and gagged outside the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in London
At a glance

His stance infuriated Labour leader Ed Miliband, who insisted every word of the report should be implemented without delay.

Party officials suggested a 'Leveson law' would be in the party's next election manifesto if Mr Miliband failed in attempts to force it on to the statute book by then.

He described the Leveson principles as 'measured, reasonable and proportionate', and supported the recommendation that a regulator should be backed by law.

The opposition will try to force a non-binding vote on the issue, possibly before Christmas, which Mr Cameron may lose if around 40 Tory MPs who had previously suggested he should consider Press laws vote with Labour and the Lib Dems.

To the anger of Tory MPs, Speaker John Bercow allowed Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to make a separate statement on behalf of the Government after Mr Cameron to signal his disagreement – the first time such an arrangement has been permitted since the 1930s.

Mr Clegg suggested he supported changing the law, insisting it was 'the only way to guarantee' that the media was kept in check.

He said a free Press 'does not mean a Press that is free to bully innocent people' and 'destroy lives'.

However, he echoed Mr Cameron's concern about any involvement for Ofcom and the proposed tightening of data protection rules.

Mr Cameron said a new system of regulation that 'complies with the Leveson principles', including large fines and prominent apologies, should be put in place 'rapidly'.

But he repeatedly told MPs he did not believe laws were necessary.

Aides said the media would have until the middle of next year to beef up proposals for a new, independent watchdog that will replace the Press Complaints Commission.

But of the report's central recommendation, for a backing in statute for the new Press regulator, Mr Cameron warned: 'For the first time we would have crossed the Rubicon, writing elements of Press regulation into the law of the land.

'We should, I believe, be wary of any legislation which has the potential to infringe free speech and a free Press.

'In this House, which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries, we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line.'

After the first series of cross-party talks on how to proceed last night, No 10 sources said the Department for Culture would produce a draft version of a 'Leveson law' to demonstrate to Labour 'why it would not work'.
Bob and Sally Dowler, the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, attended the release of the Leveson report in central London
Kate McCann, mother of missing child Madeleine, was at the QEII centre for the report's publication

Kate McCann, mother of missing child Madeleine, was at the QEII centre for the report's publication

Campaigners from the Hacked Off group have called on Mr Cameron to implement the Leveson Report in full

Campaigners from the Hacked Off group have called on Mr Cameron to implement the Leveson Report in full
Lord Justice Leveson poses with an executive summary of his report following an inquiry into media practices

Lord Justice Leveson poses with an executive summary of his report following an inquiry into media practices

Victims of Press abuses who had appeared at the inquiry expressed anger at Mr Cameron's stance.

TV presenter Anne Diamond, who told the judge of her distress when pictures of her son's funeral were published in 1991, praised the report and said she felt 'desperately hurt' that its key recommendations had been rejected by the PM.

Chris Jeffries, who won damages from eight newspapers, including the Daily Mail, over coverage of his arrest in connection with the murder of Joanna Yeates, said Mr Cameron appeared to be giving in to the 'illegitimate' power of the Press.

Madeleine McCann's mother Kate said she hoped the report would 'mark the start of a new era' for the Press, in which it treats those in the news 'with care and consideration'.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, speaking in India where he is on a trade mission, insisted the PM had been 'absolutely right' to reject new laws.

But he applauded the proposal for an independent commission that would not have newspaper editors sitting on it.

Lord Black of Brentwood, chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance, said: 'The Prime Minster has laid down a challenge to the newspaper industry to proceed quickly ... the industry will rise energetically to this challenge.'
Reporters' sources under threat

VIDEO: Grumbles in HoC as Cameron warns of new, complicated press laws
Response will be positive and quick pledges PCC chief

By MICHAEL SEAMARK

The newspaper industry will 'hit the ground running' and respond positively and quickly to the Leveson proposals for a new self-regulatory body, the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission vowed last night.

Congratulating Lord Justice Leveson on a 'massive piece of work,' Lord Hunt said: 'I suggest that we all now digest this report and seek our common ground and then unite around it.
Pugh

'Above all it is absolutely key that the result is a new regulator with effective sanctions and teeth, and independent from the industry and from the Government.'

Lord Hunt, in a speech to the University of East Anglia on 'Regulating the media', said: 'We all agree that we must retain the trust and confidence of the British people to make sure that unacceptable, outrageous and illegal behaviour can never be allowed to happen again.'

He wanted 'to respond positively' to the Leveson recommendations and issued a six point plan for a contract-based regulatory system.

A meeting will be called of all main publishers with a view to finalising the terms of the contract and the regulation so that commercial contracts can be 'signed and entered into as quickly as is practical'.

Last night Paul Ashford, group editorial director of Northern and Shell, publishers of the Daily and Sunday Express and Daily Star, said Lord Justice Leveson had made some tough recommendations 'which represent a positive step forward towards effective newspaper self-regulation'.

He added: 'We take our part in that very seriously and we will be participating with the industry to make this work.'

Lord Hunt plans to establish a shadow trust board which will put in place an independent appointments procedure for a new contract-based regulator – provisionally called NewCo – which will replace the PCC and have a clear majority of lay members.

He said: 'There must be established a clear timetable for the implementation of the proposals, which I intend to publish shortly, which I hope will stimulate the widest possible consultation.

'I want to see progress as quickly as possible, and certainly by the deadline which I propose to set as 30 June 2013.'

Lord Hunt said he aimed to ensure that the 'valuable expertise' within the PCC – which will close when NewCo is established – is retained.

He added: 'I would like the industry to begin an in-depth review of the Editors' Code in light of Lord Justice Leveson's report, and also the issues that were raised at the inquiry, again with a clear timetable for implementing any changes that are necessary.

'I realise that I will be judged by actions not words. I would very much welcome the opportunity to report at an early stage to the Prime Minister and the Coalition Government, as well as to Parliament and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

'I would also want to set up a regular reporting mechanism so that I can keep MPs and peers fully in touch with the actions which are to be taken.'

Justiceforallkids wrote:lol she was hiding yesterday in photos so maybe she did feel a bit ashamed

I doubt she has the capacity to feel shame. She should have, though, because she was standing there with the "Hacked off," group who had had their phones hacked.

AnnaEsse, I deleted a thread yesterday because there was already a thread on the topic in another section. There is already a thread in the U.K. section on the Leveson Report . what do you want to do, delete mine?

From Twitter:

BBC Radio 4 Today ‏@BBCr4today

Gerry McCann on #Leveson: 'I would have liked to have seen a properly independent regulation of the press' not self regulation #r4today
-----------------------------------------

Cue Mick Jagger ............ Oh, you can't always get what you want ......

almostgothic wrote:From Twitter:

BBC Radio 4 Today ‏@BBCr4today

Gerry McCann on #Leveson: 'I would have liked to have seen a properly independent regulation of the press' not self regulation #r4today
-----------------------------------------

Cue Mick Jagger ............ Oh, you can't always get what you want ......

so much for all the pros threats saying that freedom if speech will be wiped out

Leveson Inquiry: Victims React Angrily Over Cameron's 'Misgivings'
Huffington Post UK | Posted: 29/11/2012 20:48 GMT Updated: 29/11/2012 21:43 GMT

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/11/29/leveson-inquiry-cameron-phone-hacking-victims-_n_2213620.html

Phone hacking victims have reacted angrily after David Cameron said he had "serious concerns" about the proposal of a new press law.

Hugh Grant tweeted that the "buzzword was betrayal" among non-celebrity victims of hacking as they listened to the Prime Minister discuss his misgivings over Leveson's proposals.

The actor, who joined Twitter on Wednesday under the name @Hackedoffhugh, posted:

@HackedOffHugh
Hugh Grant
With a group of (non celeb) victims including Hillsborough families listening to PM. Buzzword is betrayal. #Leveson
November 29, 2012 4:16 pm via Twitter for iPhone Reply Retweet Favorite
Meanwhile 7/7 survivor John Tulloch told the Guardian he was "disgusted with the prime minister" over his reaction to the announcement.

Tulloch, an academic from south Wales whose phone was hacked after his face became synonymous with surviving the 7/7 bombings, told the Guardian:

"Cameron has undoubtably sided with the [press] barons and that's outrageous,"

"To wriggle away from backing the recommendations for a statutory basis for an independent commission when there's been absolute bending over backwards by Leveson to take everyone with him [in his recommendations] is not good enough," he said.

Chris Jefferies, the landlord wrongly arrested for the murder of Joanna Yeates, told ITV News it would be a "disaster" if Cameron failed to implement the proposals.

Mr Jefferies won substantial libel damages from eight newspapers following their coverage of his arrest in connection with the architect's disappearance in 2010. He was later released without charge.

Chris Jefferies was Joanna Yeates' landlord

Retired teacher Jefferies, 67, told ITV News he would feel "let down" if the Prime Minister decided to side-step recommendations on legislation.

"I would certainly feel let down," he said. "I would think it would be a disaster.

He said he wanted to tell the Prime Minister he was "very much mistaken" over his approach to statutory underpinning of press regulation.

He added: "I think he should listen not only to the voices of those that have been the victims of the press, but that he should listen to the voices of the National Union of Journalists who are in favour of some sort of statutory underpinning of this regulation.

"And that he should listen to all those MPs who are of the same view. In fact, it is probably true to say that there is a majority in Parliament that is opposed to the point of view to which the Prime Minister has chosen to entertain."

Millie Dowler's lawyer, Mark Lewis, who also represents a number of other phone hacking victims, said they were disappointed over Cameron's stance.

He said his clients felt "let down" by the Prime Minister, telling a Hacked Off press conference: "People feel that they've been let down because they were looking for an independent inquiry which was looking at the politicians as well as the press.

"The politicians were in on this and somebody independent was coming along and made recommendations and cautious optimism lasted for about 45 minutes and then the prime minister spoke and said well he's not actually going to implement a report that he instigated."

Former TV presenter Anne Diamond said Leveson had come up with "a really good workable solution", and told BBC Radio 4's PM: "It is appalling that apparently the PM isn't taking that much notice of it, and is going to kick it into the long grass.

Kate McCann had her private diary published by News of The World

Madeleine McCann's mother Kate said she hoped the PM and other party leaders would "embrace the report and act swiftly to ensure activation of Lord Leveson's recommendations within an acceptable and clearly defined time-scale".



Former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley, who successfully sued the News Of The World for privacy damages over claims that he was involved in a "sick Nazi orgy", said it would be "astonishing" if the government did not implement Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations.

He said: "It would make the situation much better than it is now and what he has done is more or less give the press what the Hunt-Black proposals would want, but underpinning with a statutory to make sure there's no backsliding and no cheating."

Prior to the recommendations being published by Leveson, former minister Peter Lilley provoked outrage after saying phone hacking victims should not have a say in the future of press regulation.

He told the BBC: "I think it’s wrong in principle to say that victims of wrongdoing should have the right to rewrite our laws to deal with offences far beyond anything they suffered, especially when the offences they suffered were covered by law and don’t need any independent regulator.

“So I think this idea of creating victims, giving them the right to draw up statutes is wrong in principle and we shouldn’t go down that route."

The very idea that the likes of Max MOSELY and the fragrant Kate Healy dictating what the freedom of the press should be makes me think we've all become trapped in some weird parallel Universe.
Max MOSELY!!!!! His dad was a full on FASCIST! I'm just amazed that a bloke who likes being chained up and who's dad was a Nazi can calmly sit on my tele telling me that our press is TOO FREE makes my blood boil.

Gerry McCann urges PM to 'do the right thing'

The father of missing Madeleine McCann said legal backing for any new system was the "minimum acceptable compromise for me and for many other victims" and urged the Prime Minister to "do the right thing".

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-11-30/gerry-mccann-urges-pm-to-do-the-right-thing/

Hey Gezza - people grow older and greyer waiting for other people to 'do the right thing'.
If you get my drift.

So don't hold your breath waiting for a change of mind from others.
That's good advice.
And we should know.

Leveson Quiet on the Future of New Media - Tech Europe - WSJ

The press report has largely left the internet and bloggers unscathed, free to carry on as they were.
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/11/29/leveson-quiet-on-the-future-of-new-media/

n nearly 20 megabytes of PDFs comprising the Leveson inquiry report into press standards in the U.K. what one might collectively describe as “new media” escapes almost entirely.

On the future of media which lies online, Lord Justice Leveson is almost entirely mute.

There is no suggestion that bloggers of any size or status will be required to be part of any future proposals even though there is a desire that the more influential blogs might think about it. Whether they will is an entirely different matter.

[p. 1761] I recognise that most blogs have very different processes, audiences and business models to most newspapers, and that consequently it may be difficult to establish one set of requirements … that is appropriate for all different types of publisher. It is important, however, that all types of publishers should be able to join such a body, and to do so on terms that are not manifestly inappropriate for their business model.

It is clear from the evidence presented to the hearing, particularly that of Paul Staines, who runs the Guido Fawkes blog, that this is more of a hope than an expectation. Amongst the bloggers quoted (and there weren’t very many of them), Mr. Staines appeared to be the one giving the most robust evidence, described at one point as “colorful”.

[p. 175] Mr Staines also made clear that he has ignored UK Court decisions without adverse consequences…The attitude of Mr Staines revealed in evidence with regard to compliance with national law was unique among witnesses from online businesses who have given evidence to the Inquiry.

It seems Mr. Staines color was enough to persuade Lord Justice Brian Leveson that the internet was just too hard to deal with. The whole tone of his report with regard to the internet is one of almost resignation.

[p. 736] Many editors and commentators have argued that the burgeoning of the internet is likely to render irrelevant much of the work of the Inquiry even assuming that it has not already done so. If, for example, celebrity X’s privacy is violated online, then the metaphorical cat is well out of the bag, and there is no reason why open season should not exist in the printed media…

…the internet does not claim to operate by any particular ethical standards, still less high ones. Some have called it a ‘wild west’ but I would prefer to use the term ‘ethical vacuum’… the internet does not claim to operate by express ethical standards, so that bloggers and others may, if they choose, act with impunity.

While it acknowledges the influence of the internet and the blogosphere, it has little to say about it. Should a newspaper blog (such as this one) be treated any different to Mr. Staines’ blog? Should a tweet be viewed differently in law to a website? There are no recommendations. That will have to wait.

Lord Justice Leveson’s 2,000 page report was presumably at the printers when lawyers acting for Alistair McAlpine, a man whose name was grotesquely traduced, took very firm action to clear his reputation. Mr. McAlpine’s lawyer is instituting legal action against everyone who tweeted or re-tweeted comments about him that associate him with untrue child abuse allegations, an act that questions the notion that “bloggers and others may, if they choose, act with impunity.”

Annabel wrote:http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/uk-world-news/2012/11/30/100252-32338155/

A good image used with the article!

Man: No, sorry love, I DON'T have any spare change. Now b*gger off and annoy somebody else.

Need a chuckle? Of course you do!

Here's that supreme intellect Lorraine Kelly and her take on Leveson for The Scum.
Enjoy the irony ......

myView
By LORRAINE KELLY, Sun columnist and television presenter
THE last thing we need is for our Press to be muzzled. Newspaper reporters should be like terriers, sniffing out good stories — and must be allowed to do their job.
But if Parliament gets involved then those MPs fiddling their expenses — who were caught bang to rights by good old-fashioned journalism — would never have been exposed.
Readers deserve newspapers with teeth. If the Government starts to interfere in Press freedom the only winners are those with something to hide.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4673336/David-Cameron-Leveson-Press-law.html#ixzz2DhuGFklU


Well that's her off the Rothley Christmas card list then ......

AnnaEsse wrote:

Annabel wrote:http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/uk-world-news/2012/11/30/100252-32338155/

A good image used with the article!

What is he turning his nose up at? Sorry, my mistake, it's his usual look.

I wonder why this photo from a year ago was reused?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065102/Leveson-Inquiry-Kate-Gerry-McCann-evidence.html

Perish the thought that the intention was to show the McCanns in an unfavourable light; Gerry looks as if he's chewing a wasp!

Look at the bigger photo in the Mail. Kate looks furtive.

You know it strikes me that till now, it served no government (UK or Portuguese) any benefit to attempt a prosecution against Kate or Gerry. With the backlash in this country and the effect on tourism in the Algarve, it could be argued that most politicians would rather the whole case disappeared into the heavens. Which may explain why the case has been stuck in limbo for nearly five years.

However, it cannot escape David Cameron’s attention that charges now would make all of 'Leveson' disappear overnight.

Excellent point, curious george!

Leveson: Victims Petition For New Press Law

The victims of phone hacking and press intrusion have launched an e-petition calling for all of Lord Justice Leveson's proposals for regulating the press to be implemented.

Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of missing Madeleine McCann, and Chris Jeffries, a retired school teacher who won damages from eight newspapers who had linked him with the murder of Joanna Yates in Bristol in December 2010, kicked off the campaign.

Oh gawd, here we go again - the McCanns cosying up to someone who really does deserve some sympathy in order to enhance their victimhood status.

If only he alone had launched the petition, fair play - he, in his circumstances, has every right to ask for more stringent measures.
But not when he has a McCann perched on each shoulder.
Not when there are cuckoos in the nest.

http://news.sky.com/story/1018659/leveson-victims-petition-for-new-press-law