If anyone has any bad news to bury, today is the day, as our right honourable prime minister gives evidence to the Leveson Inquiry.
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If anyone has any bad news to bury, today is the day, as our right honourable prime minister gives evidence to the Leveson Inquiry.
All eyes are on the inquiry into media practices today as David Cameron will reveal – under oath – how close he got to the Murdoch empire, including details of his relationships with James Murdoch, News International executive Rebekah Brooks and all others involved.
It has already been revealed that Cameron texted Brooks (“lots of love”) and bizarrely, rode her horse, but has he done anything politically inappropriate?
The Guardian claims the Conservatives “have already pleaded guilty to most of the charges being levelled against them”:
• John Major conceded this week that his government missed an opportunity to implement the Calcutt report, which recommended a new statutory press complaints body.
• Chancellor Osborne, referring to the Andy Coulson appointment said: “knowing what we know now, we regret the decision and I suspect that Coulson would not have taken the job knowing what he knows now”.
• Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has admitted he was responsible for the conduct of his special adviser, Adam Smith, and that he was shocked when he learnt of his behaviour.
• Cameron has acknowledged that the political class, including himself, became unhealthily close to newspaper proprietors
• Crunch time for Cameron as he faces Leveson next week 8 Jun 2012
• So, Mr Cameron, why spare Hunt and knife Warsi? (As if we don’t already know…) 5 Jun 2012
• The hackgate questions Cameron must answer 20 Jul 2011
Left Foot Forward has previously published 15 questions the Tory leader needs to answer:
1). What information did you receive from Alan Rusbridger on Andy Coulson?
2). What information did you receive from Nick Clegg and from Lord Ashdown?
3). What information did you receive from your chief of staff Ed Llewellyn? And from your head of strategy Steve Hilton?
4). If you discover either or both of them failed to pass on damaging information about Mr Coulson will you dismiss them?
5). What did you know about Mr Coulson’s dealings with former Scotland Yard (and ex-NotW man) Neil Wallis?
6). What did you know about Mr Llewellyn’s dealings with former Met assistant commissioner John Yates?
7). Are you concerned that the police felt you were so compromised by your relationship with Mr Coulson you couldn’t be trusted with vital information?
8). Never mind May 2010, on Mr Coulson, when hiring him in 2007, what were your vetting procedures and what exactly did you know about his time at the News of the World?
9). Are/were you aware of the case of Matt Driscoll? In a tribunal in December 2008, he described a culture of bullying under Coulson, and was awarded £800,000 for unfair discrimination and disability discrimination.
10). This happened before your decision to employ him, at no little expense, in 2007. Are you in the habit of employing bullies?
11). Were you aware that the Royal Family were “troubled” by Mr Coulson’s appointment?
12). What exactly is the extent of your relationship with Rebekah Brooks? James Murdoch? Rupert Murdoch?
13). Did you ever discuss the BSkyB deal with any of the three above – specifically when having dinner with Ms Brooks and Mr Murdoch Jr. barely 48 hours after Vince Cable was stripped of his quasi-judicial powers to decide on the takeover?
14). Are you aware of any meetings Mr Hunt had with anyone from News International since being given those powers?
15). Are you guilty of “wilful blindness”?
No one can predict what will be revealed later today at the Royal Courts of Justice, but will Cameron begin to wish he used some of his U-turn credits on this inquiry?
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14 Responses to “Is Cameron ready for Leveson?”
NewsatLeft
Is Cameron ready for Leveson? http://t.co/Oj72dhKQ #CleanPolitics #DavidCameron #GeorgeOsborne #JeremyHunt #Leveson
Pulp Ark
Is Cameron ready for Leveson? http://t.co/9foQFlRZ #CleanPolitics #DavidCameron #GeorgeOsborne #muslim #tcot #sioa
Selohesra
So what have we really achieved with the politicians evidence over the last couple of weeks at RCJ.
We ‘learned’ that politicians from all sides liked to have good relations with the media including NI
We ‘learned’ that Gordon Brown is still an incredibly bitter and twisted individual
A lot of lawyers have greatly enriched themselves with their fees for the last couple of weeks at the Levson circus.
Meanwhile dictators massacre their people and the eurozone continues to crumble – but lets keep our priorities right
Katie Stanton
Cameron text Brooks (“lots of love”) and bizarrely, rode her horse, but has he done anything politically inappropriate? http://t.co/cyO2GGGA
Qayum 'Q' Mannan
What’s that got to do with the price of bread? You down play the importance of the evidence given at the RCJ over the last couple of weeks. It’s not good relations but the extent to which influence can be bought and sold. It’s not good relations but the extent to which those good relations go on to have an effect upon the public not for their good but for the good of those in power. If the Murdoch empire were allowed unfettered reign over majority of UK media publication through their acquiring of BSkyB think of the amount of influence that would bring in on the public. Democracy would be a farce. This county’s press is already right wing enough as it is. By downplaying the importance of the last couple of weeks you ignore the potential danger to ‘democracy’ that we as a nation have missed by a knife’s edge.
Massacres and crumbling financial zones are important, but so is the health of the British Political insitution.