Leveson - the outcome

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

previous thread & another one

So, the report will finally be made public tomorrow - wonder what the outcome will be? Will Cameron actually go with the recommendations or not?

guardian article

telegraph article

daily mail article

the independent on Piers Morgan talking about phone hacking to Charlotte Church in 2003

Wonder how it will all change once they've read the report...

once again,

PCC disbanded to be replaced with new independent ruling body would be my guess....i'd be happy with that

With the 'statutory underpinnings' Hugh grant/hacked off have been pushing for? Or do you think there is no need to add 'teeth' to a new independent body?

No - i don't want state involvement.

An independent governing body should be sufficient - something similar to the Independent Police Complaints Commission

I actually think if the police actually dealt with those who break the law, instead of being wined and dined by them, there really wouldn't be any need for additional laws etc. it'll be interesting to see how Cameron and clegg react seeing as clegg wants to make his own statement.

Yes, today is going to be very interesting. Lets hope something good comes out of it all.

I think the press have too much power and do ruin lives. it must stop hounding innocent people and using the excuse that gossip/innuendo is in the public interest, when on occasion it clearly isn't.

Levison matters But most people are not interested.

I agree, an independent non political body would be good. Self regulation hasn't worked. New laws would set a frightening precedent. Press freedom should be maintained, but of course something has to change. An independent body would be a good compromise and the only viable solution.

Something akin to OFCOM, I hope. OFCOM is taken pretty seriously, much more seriously than the PCC. Or maybe extending OFCOM so that it cover all media.

info leaking out now - seems an independent body with statutory regulations is being recommended

What time is the official release? You say it's being leaked...

1.30.

Cameron opens parliamentary debate at 3.00.

Email on the BBC Live Text bar which encapsulates the conundrum:

"12:49... The Leveson Inquiry should conclude that it is in the best interest of the UK as a democratic society to keep the Press totally free. They are the ONLY check and balance on the political class and the financially powerful."

But parts of the Press ARE the political class and financially powerful.

That's the point.

From what I can see it's pretty fair.

My favourite tweet so far was yesterday by Dr Phil Hammond

"Leveson in brief. Every prime minister for 40 years has slept in Murdoch's arse. Cameron was up there when the music stopped. Next to Hunt"

Well the government is in the pockets of the press. They dare not offend them or else. I was interested in Leveson at first but it has dragged on so long I've lost interest. And I think todays statement will be nothing but a load of waffle and won't change anything. I will be quite happy to be proved wrong!

initial thoughts are that it's pretty fair too

Cameron is coming across as a little shifty in this afternoon's debate. I don't see what his issues are with the recommendations, apart from the limitations on the Data Protection aspect, possibly.

The recommendations do seem very sensible. Hardly the attack on press freedom that the press have obviously been worried about.

What would happen to the pcc? I have missed any mention of this so far.

I think the idea put forward by Leveson of an Arbitration body backed up by legislation is a good one.

The idea of a quick, low cost body staffed by knowledgable people but independent of the media to adjudicate on press complaints is similar to arbitration panels that sit regularly at short notice, sometimes in the middle of the night, to resolve shipping disputes where time is of the essence.

Clearly avoiding the need for long and expensive court cases to resolve what are relativley minor civil matters makes sense.

Good early analysis of the politics over at Guido Fawkes.

Tory HQ happy with conclusions but PM does not want to legislate. Worried about Ofcom being put in charge.

I'm delighted Piers Morgan has been highlighted by Leveson as being 'utterly unpersuasive' in his evidence. This was one interpretation of it - Morgan was aware phone hacking was taking place in press as a whole and was sufficiently unembarrassed by criminal behaviour to joke about it

I think I prefer the 'liar liar pants on fire' summary myself

Didn't he explain in one of his books how they went about it? I'm sure I read the technique in one of his diary books.

Has anyone posted this link yet? It makes startling background reading for anyone hoping to understand the Leveson Inquiry.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233681/Leveson-Inquiry-Mail-dossier-raises-disturbing-questions-influence-quasi-masonic-nexus-people-know-best.html

Here's a picture of a surprising recommendation!

Sorry don't know what happened there, here it is again