Gransnet forums

News & politics

Leveson Inquiry

(76 Posts)
coughinggran Mon 30-Apr-12 09:52:45

I was completely hooked by this last week. I hardly got anything done. I don't know whether to hope that it will be as interesting this week or completely dull, so I can tidy up and do that cupboard-reorganising I've been planning for a month....

grrrranny Mon 30-Apr-12 12:09:36

Is it being broadcast somewhere?

Anagram Mon 30-Apr-12 12:32:08

grin grrranny!

whenim64 Mon 30-Apr-12 12:36:42

Yes, grrranny I watch it on Freeview TV BBC Parliament smile. It's been fascinating to see Rupert Murdoch forgetting to be a cuddly grandad every few minutes!

Anagram Mon 30-Apr-12 12:39:11

Oh, I thought grrranny was being ironic! blush. Sorry, grrranny.

grrrranny Mon 30-Apr-12 13:07:05

I really didn't know - not being ironic - just being my normal thicko. I should make an effort to be more politically aware.

Anagram Mon 30-Apr-12 13:11:42

It's not thick not to be gripped by the machinations of Rupert Murdoch and his cronies, grrranny. You probably have better things to do! I just can't help being fascinated by his latest personality change.

grrrranny Mon 30-Apr-12 13:24:35

Not thick perhaps but a bit lazy. I don't watch TV news getting most of my info from radio or online and this means that I don't really recognise pictures of the great and the good of the day. Very unsure about difference between Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband - probably wouldn't identify correctly so if it was part of a test 'Who is the prime minister dear, is that him?' I wouldn't be let out of hospital blush

Greatnan Mon 30-Apr-12 15:15:10

I am getting a good deal of schadenfreude from it , watching the rich and powerful squirming and lying. Very naughty of me! Some of the MPs have been extremely good at questioning - they could give John Humphreys a run for his money.

grrrranny Tue 01-May-12 12:57:01

I have finally caught up a bit. Watched The Phone Hacking Inquiry on iPlayer. Loved the bit when Murdoch said he couldn't remember if he had met a politician (think it was David Cameron) on his own yacht or his daughter's yacht saying it didn't matter there were just yachts around - the way there are for all of us I'm sure.

Annobel Tue 01-May-12 13:01:22

'Schadenfreude' - now why didn't I think of that for the favourite word thread? The select committee report on phone hacking is pretty damning.

Greatnan Tue 01-May-12 13:17:08

And still the Tory MPs on the committee are reluctant to damn Murdoch. What is it going to take to get them to admit that there is something rotten in the state of Denmark!

whitewave Tue 01-May-12 19:20:46

Could it be that they are afraid that Murdoch will "spill the beans" if they join in the damnation?

POGS Tue 01-May-12 19:37:44

home

POGS Tue 01-May-12 19:58:19

Today all three parties agreed their committee had been lied to. What they did not agree on was the one line which stated Murdoch was unfit to run an international company. The Tory M.P.'s quite rightly said the committee remit was not to establish this as a point in question and the evidence heard could not establish this as a fact. It is upto OFCOM not their committee to establish if this is the indeed true. I am disgusted partisan politics over-rides the rule of the law and this has become a major problem in this country.

95% of the committee report was agreed. It was the one line put in by Tom Watson that has caused the division. I do not understand how the Tory party can be accused of not admitting something is rotten. they put Leveson into place knowing it would be damaging. Cameron is the only one who has had the guts to admitting he got too close. For goodness sake Tony Blair admits to meeting Murdoch 7 times yet he is Murdochs childs Godfather. How many of us would ask someone we have met 7 times to potentially raise our child over family. Brown met him 13 times and there was the famous pyjama party episode with Brookes and Murdochs wife. As for Milliband I find his hypocracy on practically everything mindblowing.

If OFCOM find Murdoch unfit then so be it. The difference will be all relevant and appropriate documents will have been processed according to legislation.

Greatnan Tue 01-May-12 20:03:26

Your loyalty is touching, POGS - I hope you won't be disappointed. As for hypocrisy, I quite agree that Blair is a past master, but as I have said before, I don't see how criticising the Labour party is a defence of what has been going on with Brooks, Murdoch, Cameron, et all.

nanaej Tue 01-May-12 20:27:17

Murdoch is a -terrible- powerful man so politicians past & present & of all persuasions felt the need to have him 'on side' & acted accordingly. Personally think media studies should be a big part of the education of all children so that they understand the power that press and TV have in influencing society.

Think that those in government who denigrate media studies are afraid that if the masses understood the extent of the manipulation that goes on politicians et al would find life much trickier!!

POGS Tue 01-May-12 20:57:27

I was responding to your statement about Tory M.P's Greatnan.The reason I mentioned Labour is purely to balance the debate. It is obvious partisan politics has taken place and I was trying to remind people to be above that and look at the reason behind the Tory M.P.'s decision. Should they be chastised for doing their job within the confines of the remit under parliamentary regulations, I don't think so.

I am hardly a Murdoch groupie and I don't know for what reason I might be disappointed?.

Greatnan Tue 01-May-12 21:56:57

You may be disappointed if it is finally proven beyond all reasonable doubt that many senior politicians were deeply involved in the corruption that was endemic in journalism and the police. I think I remember you saying that everyone was innocent until proven guilty. I think they will be proven guilty, but I can wait!

POGS Tue 01-May-12 22:17:52

I most certainly will not be disappointed Greatnan, they will get what they deserve, I am not that naive. I am sure there has been some serious breaches of power. I simply want correct procedure to establish the facts, that's all.

My continued thought is do not hang draw and quarter on what you read in the papers, see on the T.V. or think because of political bias.

I don't apologise for beleiving you are innocent until proven guilty. Tell that to the McCanns who were accused by the media and nasty minded people of the vile crime which will haunt them all of their lives. A person has the right to defend themself, be tried and then accept the consequences. Kangaroo courts belong in othere countries, not here.

whitewave Tue 01-May-12 23:06:32

Don't forget that there are documents with a firm of solicitors that the Murdochs have refused to hand over - wonder why?

Barrow Wed 02-May-12 13:28:47

Does anyone else find it ironic that a bunch of people who couldn't run a whelk stall are saying that a man who has successfully run a multi-million pound company isn't fit to run that company!

whenim64 Wed 02-May-12 13:34:42

Yes, Barrow - this is the gang of MPs whose expenses fiddles were found out and all of a sudden they're holier then thou!

Greatnan Wed 02-May-12 13:40:51

I agree that many MPs are greedy to the point of criminality but I don't see how that excuses Murdoch. Either he knew what was going on in his company or he didn't, and it looks increasingly as if he did.

whenim64 Wed 02-May-12 13:56:58

Either way it doesn't matter - if he knew he shouldn't manage a multinational company, and if he didn't what is he doing managing a multinational company!