Neil Carmichael - MP for Stroud

Neil Carmichael's response to the 'News of the World' scandal

This weekend, some will have purchased the last edition of the "News of the World" (though I have noticed huge piles of unsold papers on Sunday night). It is important to have investigative journalism but some of the methods deployed at this paper were completely unacceptable and also depraved. Those responsible for such behaviour must be exposed and the question of rights to privacy needs to be properly defined.

Some months ago in the House of Commons in a response to a colleague, I signalled my distaste of the "Murdoch Press" and I remain very concerned about the size and scope of News International. I fear that there will be yet more revelations to come. Also very troubling, is the failure by the police to properly investigate the original evidence or wrongdoing.

As more evidence emerges, it is clear that the senior management either did not know of the practices or, at the very least, turned a blind eye to them. This boils down to incompetence versus, in the eyes of many, potentially acting illegally. Therefore the question about the future of BSkyB is not only framed in terms of plurality and competition but also the capacity of the leadership, itself, of News International. Certainly, potential investors in News International appear to be unnerved.

The Prime Minister has announced two inquiries. Both are essential and urgent as they seek to open up the two fundamental questions of the boundaries of journalism, and the association between some police officers and the News of the World. The Prime Minister and other senior Party leaders are right to worry anout the now excessively close relationship between editors and political parties.

All in all, there is an urgent need to ensure that the two public inquiries get underway with their respective tasks and that the bar is set much, much higher for News International as it seeks to expand its influence still further. I believe that the public interest demands clarity and transparency over recent events before any further expansion of News International is even countenanced.

 

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This entry was posted on 11 July 2011 at 14:45 and is filed under Local Policy | The Community.