Once again, Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper has failed to report the latest sickening revelations in the phone hacking scandal, reports Shamik Das.
Once again, Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper has failed to report the latest sickening revelations in the phone hacking scandal, as the spotlight is further shone on the discredited, disgraced former editor Rebekah Brooks. For them, no mention of Gordon Brown on the front page, nor anywhere.
In stark contrast to when the paper invaded his privacy by reporting the news his son Fraser had cystic fibrosis, causing untold distress to Gordon and Sarah just to sell a few more papers and further line Murdoch’s pockets.
The head-in-the-sand blindness to what is going on was evident all last week at the Sun, which failed to report the original Milly Dowler phone hack scandal last Tuesday, and didn’t report the phone hacking story on its front page at all till Friday, when it splashed on the end of the News of the World.
This morning, Mr Brown accused Murdoch’s News International of using “known criminals” to gain access to personal information, and of having links to the “criminal underworld”. On the gross invasion of privacy by Brooks’s Sun publishing details of Fraser’s medical records, he said he was “in tears” when told by journalists the story was about to break.
He said:
“Sarah and I were incredibly upset about it, we were thinking about his long term future, we were thinking about our family.”
And on the hacking into his bank details, and the phone hacking scandal overall, the former prime minister added:
“I’m shocked, I’m genuinely shocked to find this happened because of the links with known criminals who were undertaking this activity, hired by investigators who were working with the Sunday Times.
“If I, with all the protection and all the defences and all the security that a chancellor of the exchequer or a prime minister has, is so vulnerable to unscrupulous tactics, unlawful tactics, to methods that have been used in the way that we’ve found – what about the ordinary citizen?
“What about the person – like the family of Milly Dowler – who were in the most desperate of circumstances, at the most difficult occasions in their lives – in huge grief… and then they find that they are totally defenceless in this moment of greatest grief from people who are employing these ruthless tactics?”
In other developments, Met Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who failed to fully investigate the scandal, will be grilled by MPs on the home affairs select committee, from 11:30am; watch it live on BBC Democracy Live here.
44 Responses to “Yet again, the discredited Sun fails to report the main story”
Ed's Talking Balls
Given that all the hacking/blagging stories being reported (e.g. Millie Dowler’s family, families of soldiers, Gordon Brown and assorted celebrities) seem to have occurred when Labour was in office, I find it very odd indeed that Miliband is seeking to make political capital out of this.
I don’t find it credible that only one party knew about all this or that only one party found it acceptable etc. They were all in it together, cowering from a media they daren’t confront.
Robert
Rebekah Brooks, we are told phoned Brown up to let him know, and then Brown stated he was in tears, he was horrified, then why did he go to her wedding.
Why when it was labour in power did they not demand answers.
We Brownowmn to day telling us how hurt he was how desperate he was, yet he did sod all about it.
Seems Murdock has more power and Labour were to scared to do anything.
we are now told before this broke Miliband was off to News International do to speak, seem odd these people are all feeling so bitter but not bitter enough to say no to the odd do or class of champers.
Sir ian Blair is now twisting and turning on TV
13eastie
It’s a pity for Mr Brown and his family that neither he nor his party have a leg to stand on when it comes to media dirty tricks.
Reporting a true story about his child may well have been distasteful.
But compared to conspiring from within No. 10 to libel political opponents?
Or, perhaps, using the press to smear a civil servant while his family was making his funeral arrangements?
And who could forget the charming Miss Moore?
Certainly it would be interesting to see the time-line that indicated precisely when Mr Brown’s vendetta began.
Henry
The entire political establishment was clearly intimidated by Murdoch’s henchmen: not surprising, given what they were capable of. At least Miliband is now taking a strong lead in pushing the government to deal with these evil people.
john
No matter how disgusting these revelations are,it does not stop the Brown haters coming out in force does it?
Says everything you need to know about the tories,After Gordon Brown faced a 10 year onslaught from NI,they still couldn,t form a majority government