One of my hardworking assistants asked me the other day what I was going to write about in my next Blog. I said that given the events of the last two weeks, there is only one thing that I could possibly write about and that is the furore about Rupert Murdoch and News International.
For far too long, many of us have thought that the press in Britain was irresponsible and far too intrusive. But few believed that the illegal phone-hacking had taken place on such a scale and for such a length of time.
People across the country have been appalled by the revelations about phone-hacking and the failure of Rupert Murdoch and News International to take responsibility. Dozens upon dozens of people have written to me demanding that there be higher standards in the media, in the police, and of course in politics.
Because Parliament has asserted itself there will be a Judge-led public inquiry into phone-hacking and the other illegal practices of the British Press. As I write, Parliament is also preparing to take ‘evidence’ from Rupert Murdoch, his son James, and the former Chief Executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks.
I very much hope that Rupert Murdoch will take the opportunity to genuinely apologise to the British people for the conduct of his newspaper group and his reluctance to acknowledge the extent of illegal practices in News International.
But as this story develops into a saga, it is becoming ever more clear that this is an issue which will not go away quickly. As more and more information is coming out, it is becoming increasingly evident that it is impossible to say where the revelations will lead us.
This is looking increasingly like Watergate in the United States.
Wayne David
Labour MP for Caerphilly
an obvioud questionfor the executives of News International is whst were the authority levels (howmuch) for payments to sdources, compensation levels and the like. in other words who actually suthorised payments of say £700,000.00 alledgedly to Gordon aylor,or for a senior policemans stay at a health farm, that should give a good indication of who knew what.in the past I was occasionally involved in the popayment of informants fees and no way could i have got a cash payment of say £5,000.00 authorised by the chief accountant without chapter aand verse including what it was really for.
in my days in the city of London a meal or a bottle of wine was reasonable hospitaslity, a case if wine or a Holiday was not reasonable.
Gareth williams
Yet again, Wayne has nothing to say about the work he is doing for Caerphilly or to tackle the shameful levels of under employment locally. Maybe becuase there isn't much he's doing?
As Wayne David wrote "this is an issue that will not go away quickly" and people right at the top will be implicated. The sychophancy toward Murdoch and his papers, which allowed them to indulge in dubious practises, started with Thatcher and has continued for 30 years.
It will, no doubt, become apparent that one of the greatest friends of News International was Tony Blair. I am no fan of Gordon Brown, he sold our gold reserves at a fraction of their real value, destroyed final salary pensions in the private sector, etc. But I do give him credit for holding the Murdochs at arms length during his premiership.
Sadly I see the final result of these hearings as being fewer newspapers and corrupt politicians carrying on as before. We do need newspapers for their work in exposing the wrong doing of those at the top. Who, in future, will inform the public when top politicians and police breach the regulations put in place to keep them in check?