McCanns and other victims of press intrusion say they have 'no confidence' in Government after Leveson Inquiry closure

Victims of press intrusion, including the father of missing Madeleine McCann, said they have “absolutely no confidence” in the Government after the announcement that it was formally closing the Leveson Inquiry.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament yesterday that the “terms of reference” for the next part of the inquiry had “largely been met” and that his focus was now on challenges facing the news industry.

Gerry McCann and his wife Kate (pictured) brought successful libel actions against numerous newspapers over various false claims, including that they withheld evidence from police over their daughter’s disappearance.

The Daily Express and Daily Star both published a front page apology to the McCanns in 2008 after running a number of stories wrongly implying that they were responsible for Madeleine’s death.

The McCanns also testified at part one of the Leveson Inquiry about media intrusion into their lives and what they described as the “disgusting” tabloid stories following Madeleine’s disappearance in Portugal in 2007.

Her father, Gerry McCann said: “The second part of the Inquiry is vital to investigate the corruption between politicians, the press and the police.

“Instead of proceeding with it as promised, this Government has abandoned its commitments to the victims of press abuse to satisfy the corporate interests of the large newspaper groups.

“This Government has lost all integrity when it comes to policy affecting the press.”

Jacqui Hames, the former detective and Crimewatch presenter whose phone was hacked by Trinity Mirror journalists, said she recalled meeting then Prime Minister David Cameron over the phone-hacking scandal.

She said: “I sat in a room with former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron while he made promises directly to me, and other victims, that the Conservative Party would get to the bottom of press and police corruption by completing the Leveson Inquiry.

“Today this Government have made a clear choice to side with the unaccountable and unelected press barons over the rights of ordinary people in this country.

“I, and other victims of press abuse and intrusion, have no absolutely no confidence in this Government as they seem incapable of putting the rights of the people they serve over self-interest”.

Press reform group Hacked Off has now launched a petition calling on the Government to “honour the promises it made to the public, to Parliament and to victims of press abuse” and go ahead with the Leveson Two.

The second part of the inquiry was set to examine wrongdoing in the press and the police, including the failure of the first police investigations, corporate governance issues and implications for police and press relations.

Sir Brian Leveson has been consulted about the decision to close the inquiry. Hancock said Leveson “agrees that the inquiry should not process on the current terms of reference”, but should continue “in an amended form”.

Hacked Off director Dr Evan Harris said: “This is probably the first time that a Government has over-ruled the views of the judicial chair of a statutory inquiry by cancelling an inquiry against his will.

“If this was any other industry the press would demanding that inquiry must happen immediately, but when it is about them they applaud the cover-up of a cover up.

“The Government will find it very difficult to maintain this cover-up for long.”

Hancock said there had been “extensive reforms to policing practices” and “significant changes to press self-regulation” since Leveson part one with the establishment of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

The Government also said it will repeal Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which would have forced newspapers not signed up to a Royal Charter regulator, which currently only recognises Impress, to pay both sides’ legal fees in privacy and libel battles, win or lose.


Hancock said the costs would “exacerbate the problems the press face rather than solve them”.

But Bristol landlord Christopher Jeffries, who was libelled by the press when he was wrongly accused of the murder of Joanna Yeates in 2010, said the decision would mean it will be harder for victims to access justice.

Jeffries said: “The failure to introduce Section 40 means that many ordinary people who are victims of press abuse will continue to be denied access to justice, while only the wealthy will be able to take newspapers to court to obtain justice.

“This law was passed by an overwhelming majority of the House of Commons with support across all parties.

“This decision by the Government to ignore that vote shows contempt for Parliamentary democracy and puts the interests of press barons above the interests of ordinary people.”

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/mccanns-and-other-victims-of-press-intrusion-say-they-have-no-confidence-in-government-after-leveson-inquiry-closure/

 

Why are the McCanns the focal point of this report - a rhetorical question naturally!

I'll give them one thing, they're quick.  I've never had any confidence in any government, not just the government but then I'm an innate cynic.  My first words when coming into the world.... 'what the hell am I doing here?'

Gerry McCann and his wife Kate (pictured) brought successful libel actions against numerous newspapers over various false claims, including that they withheld evidence from police over their daughter’s disappearance.

Funny that innit - where was Clarence Mitchell, the notorious government Media Monitoring guru, whilst all this was going on?  How did all these negative reports hit the headlines - a mutually beneficial arrangement perhaps?

You are a cynic! Pull over a seat!
Set up ostensibly to cash in on later as libel? Surely not...

Mark Willis wrote:

That's roughly whereabouts my mind hovers - out of court settlement of course .

Verdi wrote:You are a cynic! Pull over a seat!
Set up ostensibly to cash in on later as libel? Surely not...

That's roughly whereabouts my mind hovers - out of court settlement of course .

Yes, the Mc MO - which backfired (for once) when they tried that with Goncalo.
Yet we all recall how the Mcs waited until GA had accrued sufficient book sales (£££) before they suddenly became furiously litigious again. 

"Investigate the corruption between politicians , the press and the police " 

Ah yes Mr , sorry Professor McCann, that's exactly what we want !

Particularly regarding the disappearance of your daughter Madeleine ( remember her ? I know it was nearly 11 years ago now !) 

Or are we not allowed to question that still ? 

After all , you and your wife aren't being questioned are you Mark Rowley told us that ! Hmm !

Her father, Gerry McCann said: “The second part of the Inquiry is vital to investigate the corruption between politicians, the press and the police.

Yes, it's classic innit? The very man who's been protected by the UK establishment has the bare-face audacity to publicly admonish the UK establishment that's protecting him and his whimpering wife. Beggars belief doesn't it?

The thing that gets me, they think us mere mortals are so gullible that we blindly accept everything they have to offer. Or maybe it just doesn't matter when you know you're untouchable.

Oh dear it has upset quite a few of the" Shut the Press Up Brigade".    Apparently threats of taking this to the courts have been reported.
 Well there are lots of very rich people who want to hide their private behaviour so let them take it to court.    The Press will be watching and waiting.   Waiting to print stories I believe they have locked away in their files and waiting to bring those who try to shut them up down when the time is right.

Sometimes it is wise to keep one's trap shut I believe.

sandancer wrote:"Investigate the corruption between politicians , the press and the police " 

Ah yes Mr , sorry Professor McCann, that's exactly what we want !

Particularly regarding the disappearance of your daughter Madeleine ( remember her ? I know it was nearly 11 years ago now !) 

Or are we not allowed to question that still ? 

After all , you and your wife aren't being questioned are you Mark Rowley told us that ! Hmm !

Yes those ever so wonderful Politicians who were found floundering to omit the truth from their thinly veiled lips at Leveson 1,have now decided it isn't in the Public's interest to Hear or see the squirming being undertaken for a second round?
As Sandancer has stipulated above,they do not want the public to know what deceitful behaviour that they have been up to and its on a "Need to Know basis",so the public can **ck off?

In the same way that the MSM "store" salacious stories for use as & when (I have a famous football player/manager one, on VERY good authority, from many years ago that hasn't surfaced.....YET !), government agencies (read MI5, MI6) have information on ministers, "stars" and other high profile personnel for times when pressure needs to be applied or silence needs to be golden.

Some call it blackmail...............

Verdi wrote:

Her father, Gerry McCann said: “The second part of the Inquiry is vital to investigate the corruption between politicians, the press and the police.

Yes, it's classic innit?  The very man who's been protected by the UK establishment has the bare-face audacity to publicly admonish the UK establishment that's protecting him and his whimpering wife.  Beggars belief doesn't it?

The thing that gets me, they think us mere mortals are so gullible that we blindly accept everything they have to offer.  Or maybe it just doesn't matter when you know you're untouchable.

Something I have said from almost day one. We'd ask ourselves, "Why don't you Mcs sack your PR advisors, because everything you say incriminates yourselves, further?"..
..from which I deduced the Mcs must have some kind of amnesty deal whereby they can say anything they like with complete immunity (from prosecution, but not public opprobrium and ridicule).

No mention of the £500,000 paid to keep the McCann's in the public eye for the first year after Madeleine's disappearance - never mind all of the £000s paid since that has never been officially admitted to.

Rogue-a-Tory wrote:No mention of the £500,000 paid to keep the McCann's in the public eye for the first year after Madeleine's disappearance - never mind all of the £000s paid since that has never been officially admitted to.

Yes and quite remarkable,that One of the Unsolved Murders in London,Daniel Morgan Murder 31+ yrs ago,with links between Police Officers receiving payments for information,passed to reporters from News Of the World,Sun,throw in Rebekah Brooks,her lover Andy Coulson ,then former Prime minister David Cameron,(We'er all In This Together)owned by Rupert Murdoch?  
Then add in the Sky News Corporation,Martin Brunt,Madeleine McCann disappearance,dossier handed to Sir Bernard Hogan Howe by the McCann family,which ended up with the death,suicide of Mrs Brenda Leyland,stalked by Brunt outside of her home in Leicester.
Yes no wonder the Parasite MP's quickly whooshed away any prospect of a Leveson 2,don't wish to wash our very dirty laundry in public do we Mr Hannah,exposing corruption amongst the elites in society,scandalous!