God, those NoW journos were utter scum weren't they?

[headfairy]

apparently by deleting Milly's messages her family still had some hope that she might still be alive

Oh dear those of you who are talking about Brown's "hammy" acting are really missing the point. What you have to ask yourselves is "Do I want to have the sort of press who is prepared to print a person's private medical records for no apparent reason other than sensationalism to exist in Britain?" Please have a bit of moral backbone!

Brown didn't have the backbone to stand up to it though and to be fair none of them have so I don't know what that says about the calibre of our politicians. He gritted his teeth by the looks of it and did what was expected in order to further his career. I personally would like to think a true strong leader would have challenged it and risked his ambition. They may have tried to destroy him initially but I think the British public would have stood by him if he had come out and said Look this is what they are doing and I won't be complicit. They destroyed him in the end anyway so his loyalty and fear was hugely misplaced. And as for his wife organising RBS 40th party several years later how could she?

whitewave I think the hammy refererences are to Andy Hayman, the former copper who was all 'What me, guv? How could you suggest such a thing?' at the select committee.

Agree with BornSicky on Brown. I had high hopes for him as a PM and was massively disappointed in what we actually got. However he has been punished for his mistakes and failings by the electorate. The Sun, who took this awful decision to publish the story about Fraser, have till now got off scot free. It's time they got theirs, if you ask me.

Yes Whitewave the reference was to Andy Hayman and his frankly appalling acting skills - not Gordon Brown.

Do keep up .. [joke!]

Aitch - the Mail laid into Steve Coogan yesterday.

Interesting as on Newsnight Coogan mentioned the Mail editor, Paul Dacre, saying Dacre must be studying his shoes at the moment hoping not to be noticed.

I guess they are hoping NI will take all the flak and the Mail can increase its readership.

I agree with you. I think it's bloody appalling that the Mail seems to be getting off here. It is a horrible paper.

But by continually focusing in on personality and guilt or not we are not looking at the bigger picture and are instead getting bogged down with gossip and inuendo. In order to bring about change which hopefully we all want. We need to raise our sights and focus on the future and what we would like the media, politicians, police etc to change in their behaviour and actions. Whether by statute or some other vehicle

Hacked off petition

exactly, frilly. unless attention goes to the mail soon they will be increasing sales/power/profit.

Agreed eighties
GB should have stood up to Mr Burns RM but I think it's too simplisitic to argue that he didn't only in order to save his career. (This would apply to politicians from all sides by the way). I thought GB was a disappointing PM overall, but he and the others had more to lose than their own careers, and given that even the police didn't stand up to NI, I don't think it is the case that he would have had massive support. NI was still more than powerful enough to launch a huge anti GB and Labour campaign: we didn't know then what we know now. I'm quite enjoying watching everyone who was hacked or leant on taking their revenge now. It's one of the only times in my life I've seen 'what goes around comes around unfolding in front of my eyes'.

I think Noddy and I are going to have to agree to disagree over this one. But I don't want too much blame being aimed at GB as this really deflects from the real baddies in this, NI and, frankly, the police who are coming out of this extremely badly.

whitewave you're preaching to the converted. All 2382 posts and gazillion pages are because those writing here want a better future for paper based media.

oh and on the Mail...Didn't Paul Dacre used to be the chair of the PCC?

It's staggering how crap the sort-of regulators/senior bodies are for all three areas:

PCC for papers.

IPCC for police
and House of Lords for Politicians. Except I'm not even sure if they do have the powers to sort this lot out, even if they could be trusted.

None of this would happen if people did not buy this filth to read in the first place. All those who bought and enjoyed the NOTW are partly responsible.

Aitch - agree again.

I had to stop looking at the links to the DM on MN and especially the comments below the articles (often expressing very worst side of human nature) because it was depressing me.

I can't believe that people really want to know all that rubbishy celebrity crap - never mind all the nasty 'news' stories.

A relative of mine was hounded by DM reporters for a non-story they had blown up out of not very much at all. It was horrible. Imagine being doorstepped by a dead-eyed 20 year old girl determined to print a lot of lies about you, and kind of threatening you if you don't cooperate.

OK so - what would be the sort of thing we need to replace these regulators? And what limitations would we want to see happen?

I could kick off with some!

No policing the police by the police. So what sort of body could be right for this? Any ideas? Perhaps some sort of number of people like a jury taken from 12 good men(I use this term very loosely!) and true!! If we could find them. But definately no-one connected to the police establishment in any way.

Press - This will be quite difficult I think - I would fight to the death for freedom of speech (well perhaps that is overegging the pudding!) but there does need to be limitations, and clearly the press are no good at keeping to these so again we need an external body with real teeth to police them. And at a hint of corruption go in all guns blazing.

Politicians - Absolutely clear blue water between the both Houses and Press. All meetings to be recorded. They must have so regreted their behaviour at times when they felt limited in their actions because they knew that the press has something on them and so were frightened to speak up - imagine tryng to run a country like that?

And for the limitations

Police - No more pub visits with news hacks - meeting with the press should be much more formal and perhaps notes taken for record etc.
No more fraternizing with media barons etc And that goes for politicians too.

Press - must absolutely keep to the law and be hammered if they fail to do so. Watch must kept vigilant on any smell of corruption.

Politicians - voted out if they fail to live up to the required standards. If they argue that they must keep in touch with the press etc, they will need a very good reason and we need to know.

Sorry to go on so -

I'm wondering how much the Murdochs & RB are enjoying being trailed & papped wherever they go...

whitewave - there is only one group to police the corrupt.
A group who are impeccable with their morals, unsullied by smears, a group who brought a Prime Minister to his knees.

Who better than the Women's Rural Institute.

I just don't believe I just heard David Cam our Prime Minister won't attend the debate in HofCommons today and will vote "if his diary allows it" WHAAAAT?

For years i've been on about how Murdoch is setting the entire agenda for our country and indeed the world; the parameters for any kind of 'debate' be it about climate change, war, capitalism, feminism or any other vital issue have been dictated and defined by him for 40 years now. I'm so glad people are finally opening up and discussing what a monopoly he actually holds over our culture, and questioning whether that is right. Let's not let this die down.

gentleotter - provided they have real teeth, and preferably their own?!! I am speaking as one who has to have an extraction this seek!

We (the people) shall provide teeth. The W.I. are terrifying.

Gordon Brown went to Rebecca Brooks wedding
Sarah Brown invited Rebecca Brooks to stay at Chequers
The weekend Gordon Brown decided not to call an election- guess who stayed at Chequers?

Gordon Brown surrounded himself with low life like Damien McBride and Charlie Whelan

The man is a useless F..k who shafted this country.

nogreythatmatters - oh dear! please do get out of the gutter, where so much of our press resides. It smells so much better for a start. The same can be said of other past and current PM - we just need to change the dates and some names but it doesn't get us anywhere.

I think if Gb persists with his 'shock and horror' the papers are going to really go for him and dredge up all his dodgy dealings with NI.

Totally agree with nogreythatmatters

www.express.co.uk/posts/view/258441/Now-Piers-Morgan-is-dragged-into-scandal pretty lame stuff but it's a start........

just came off a conf call and switched on News24 for PMQ - and it was all kicking off! rofl at speaker saying to children's minister if you can't behave like an adult get out of the chamber - how apt!