Live webchat with Hugh Grant (!!!) about the Leveson report and press reform, Monday 10 December, 8pm

[JustineMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that sleb-actor-turned-campaigner Hugh Grant (yes it's Hugh ) is joining us for a webchat tonight, Monday, December 10 at 8pm.

Hugh keen to talk to us about the Leveson report and press reform. As you probably know he's been a prominent member of Hacked Off, and before that was best known for his quintessential English gent roles in movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually.

Hacked Off is an alliance of victims of press abuse, journalists, academics, lawyers and others who successfully campaigned for a public inquiry into the phone hacking scandal.

And now that the inquiry's been held (by Lord Leveson), Hacked Off wants all Leveson's recommendations for press reform implemented.

(This webchat is focused on Leveson, so we hope you'll understand that Hugh will prioritising Qs about that ahead of Qs about his career/personal life/choice of biscuits - although, if there's time, he will do his best to address a few of those too.)

So, join us and Hugh, online at 8pm tonight. If you can't make it then, you can post up advance questions on this thread.

Hi Hugh, do you think the public are interested in gossip about clebs or it's just lazy reporting?

Dear Hugh

I don't know if you are aware, but Maria Miller came on MN for a webchat a couple of weeks ago and gave the most dismal, patronising and frankly pointless set of answers to intelligent questions that I have ever seen.

Will you please carry on speaking out because she still ain't getting it.

LR

Hi Hugh (waves/blows kiss) Do you think that the celebrities who thrive off media attention however negative ; the big brother types etc should have one set of rules as a whole industry has been borne out of their antics? And evryone else be protected?

darkesteyes
I literally hate the Dacre lies on benefit 'scroungers' too. I have a company that works with the very long term unemployed.....and the last 3 years of ramping up this rhetoric about the 'underclass' is finally coming to fruition. Benefits are being slashed for totally minor incidents, everyone is presumed a liar and cheat, and genuinely animals get treated better. I am now, at this moment, seeing first hand more people going homeless, considering suicide and certainly forced into crime.
Anyone who says the press from the likes of Dacre is harmless fun/ or worse is fact, is simply a wankering fool. It's actually life and death for some people

Hugh, thanks for speaking up about this. I am wondering when was the actual 'right, that's it' moment? You obviously have to deal with press intrusion a lot given your job, but what was the trigger point in this precise case that led you to speak out about it in the way that you did?

Also can I just say that your dance around No 10 in Love Actually is one of the finest cinematic moments I have ever encountered

Hello Hugh

Do you have an opinion on the current campaign to get The Sun to stop page 3? It's beginning to get some real momentum behind it and I just presumed that you would have been approached by the founder of No More Page 3 for support, just wondering.

Hello Hugh
as a former journalist and having seen the evil side of state presss control how do you balance statute protection against government control? I realise that current editors exercise de facto control (I've heard the phone calls Murdoch makes to his editors), but it's scary stuff when you talk about press control.
Can't we simply tighten privacy legislation?
regards Coorong.

Hi,

What do you think of the campaign to end page 3?

Good Evening Hugh,

With regards to the French privacy laws, would you like to see Britain move further towards the same laws?

Thank you

Would you like my last Jaffa Cake?

How do you like Twitter so far?

i have tried to sign for hacked off, unfortunately i'm not in the UK at the moment, do i have to give a Uk postcode or will it be available for other countries someday?

Dear Hugh,

Very interested in your responses. Thank you for coming to do a webchat.

Are you campaigning on these issues purely because you were the result of a tabloid sting showing you to use prostitutes while appearing in the media at public functions with your also-famous girlfriend? Do you think that makes your campaign credible or do you worry that people think "oh he only wants press reform so men like him couldn't be busted with prostitutes when they portray themselves in interviews as loving boyfriends"?

I've always wondered whether the questions over your motivation would bother you.

Would you like to see Andy Coulson, Rebekah Brooks et al go to prison?

If Andy C ends up getting, say, the six or seven year sentence many predict do you think that is commensurate with the crime?

I am just laughing at Justine's palpable excitement and all the !!!! In the OP.

@GetorfsaMotherfuckingMorrisMan

I am just laughing at Justine's palpable excitement and all the !!!! In the OP.

I've even had my hair done! [eek think they're downstairs]

Brilliant question Rubyroo.

Hugh as a journalist who has worked for tabloids and women's magazines for over 20 years and managed to get real life and celebrity exclusives while abiding by the PCC code, the thing I find most difficult about the Leveson report recommendations and the Hacked Off campaign is the idea that the new code should be enforceable by law. It's really just a small minority of journalists and media owners who have behaved badly, isn't it? Is a law really necessary to control the bad behaviour of the few? And do you have any faith that newspaper editors and media owners are going to abide by the recommendations they've agreed to support?

Liz Jarvis

Hi Hugh

Darkesteyes says it really.

Do you think that implementation of Leveson as is could ensure that groups as well as individuals can be protected from constant drip-drip demonisation. Especially as some of the rhetoric comes from within the govt.?

OOOH ! Is he here ? So exciting !

Me first for the kisses !

False alarm. Hugh's still in Regent St - running late - possible delayed start now, will keep you posted...

Hi Hugh,

What do you think about the Labour party's suggestion of putting the Lord Chief Justice, head of the judiciary in England and Wales, in charge of overseeing a new self-regulatory, rather than a statutory body? BBC story here

Oh pooh.

Regent Street ? What's he doing, switching the lights on or Christmas shopping ?

pointless but fawning post alert

i never rated your films, but now i've heard you speak out about and against the revolting way the press have treated individuals, if i was going to perhaps, well not be faithful to Mr Fountain, i'd put you on the list of prospective shagees

What are you advocating for to address the misogyny in the press identified through representations to the inquiry? Do you think this leads to a culture where men feel entitled to pay to use women's bodies?