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.

[TeeElfOnTeeShelf]

Of course Olivia is there.

[BOFingSanta]

Hello Hugh- well done on your campaigning, I thought you were very impressive on Question Time.

May I ask- did you comment on the weather when you arrived at MNHQ? And did Justine say she hadn't noticed?

[mariekjulia123]

You always said that you - when you were little - never want to become an actor. Do you like this 'work' more than acting?

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

What have I missed?

[mcmooncup]

I like the work you do on Pancreatic cancer too.
My dad died of it around the same time as your mum.....and I appreciated you speaking up about it. It's not a cancer that seems to have moved forward in anyway in 50 years. I wish the press would cover important stories like that, but there we go.......we all must know that Kerry Katona has lost a few pounds....then put them back on again.........

[JustFabulous]

You are 52?!




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.
.
.

[ChippingInAWinterWonderland]

52 and not looking a day over 36. Lucky bugger.

[Corygal]

Are you friends with Steve Coogan now you are both crusaders? Is he nice to the dog? Does he set you up on blind dates and get worried about you?

Or does he sit on the sofa hinting for meals and cracking open tinnies for 3 days straight?

[MrsChristmasVamos]

Oooh, ooh, I have a question !

Do you like snow ?

[arcorvette]

Hi Hugh
Quick question. Are any newspapers in your opinion worth reading? Can we trust any of them?!! Thank you :)

[TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe]

Hi Hugh -

Did you think it helps for campaigns to have a celebrity backing/driving them, or do you think it distract from the cause? (or rather, do you think the press have ever used your campaign as an excuse to talk about you and not the issue?)

[TunipTheVegedude]

Chocolate digestives? You would get on very well with my mother, then.

We're going to hers for Christmas but you would be very welcome too.

[RebeccaTheHallsMumsnet]

@OliviaPeaceOnMumsnet

[quote ClementineKelandra]
I'm wondering just how many members of MNHQ will be working overtime tonight?

[/quote]

[HughGrant]

@bunchamunchycrunchycarrots

OK, I've had a think (!) and this is my question - Hugh, welcome! Fantastic to have you here talking about this issue. My question is on the media response to the Leveson report - it's clear (to me) that Cameron has weighed up the potential fall out from backing the report in full, when faced with the 'backlash' that would follow from the printed press, and back-tracked from the intitial 'if the recommendations aren't bonkers, I'll back it' to 'lets not be hasty...rubicon...blah' stance - in light of this, do you think there is a realistic chance of the recommendations being implemented when the media still have such a huge influence over those who would be/should be responsible for pushing the recommendations through parliament? Are there any compromises that you/Hacked Off would deem acceptable to get the bulk of the recommendations through i.e. is there any part of the report recommendations that would be acceptable to be implemented at the expense of other recommendations?

Also, given the media focus on Hacked Off, and those who back the campaign i.e. who are they, where is the funding coming from? - do you, or Hacked Off, have any plans to show some more transparency on that point, to address that 'concern' from the media?

Two parts to your question, both interesting. Would Hacked Off compromise on anything Leveson recommends? The truth is that Leveson's report was incredibly mild and he bent over backwards to keep the state at three arms length from the press. So there's no real need, for much compromise.

And thats what makes it all the more astonishing, that the prime minister could have gone back on his word to the victims (I don't include myself - I'm talking about real victims, people like the Dowlers and the McCanns) within hours of the report being published.

Withregards to the finance of Hacked Off, a lot comes from charitable trusts, a lot comes from private donations both big and small and some of those donations are anonymous because of the fear off retribution on the donors from the newspapers. But our total budget is almost certainly far less than what news international pay Clive Goodman and Glen Mulcaire even after they'd been charged, arrested and convicted.

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

I had visions of Hugh speed typing like an eccentric author, rattling off numerous witty responses, peppered with some serious undertones. Me thinks we are getting some one fingered typing here...

[MrsChristmasVamos]

He's a bit slow, isn't he ? Not the fastest webchat we ever had !

This is why a MNHQ webcam would be useful.

[Hassled]

Another fawning jolly well done here - I thought the recent programme was excellent, and throughout this whole circus you have been the voice of sense and reason.

And I don't have a question - just keep fighting the good fight.

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

Sorry, my impatience is my weakness...

[mariekjulia123]

You always said that you - when you were little - never want to become an actor. Do you like this 'work' more than acting? - I know I asked this before but I'm actually pretty curious about the answer

[mcmooncup]

Have you ever succumbed to reading the Mail Online in moments of weakness?

[HoratiaLovesBabyJesus]

Don't be so mean!

Justine is taking dictation and she keeps pausing to swoon.

[Melmagpie]

Hi Hugh!

It feels like the media is above the law or being the law at the moment - at one extreme the media is flouting the law with phone hacking etc, at the other it is doing its job (I'm thinking about Jimmy Savile and the Exposure documentary - it took ITV to bring his crimes to light.) What is the best way to change this culture so that the law of the land becomes a respected moral code at these elite levels and also capable of doing its job without the media having to do it for them - and that the law isn't feeble in the face of celebrity or media power. (I'm not saying we shouldn't have investigative journalism - we should - just seems mad that crimes like that weren't dealt with by the law itself.) What role should the media have in our legal and moral life?

[mariekjulia123]

I don't think he's slow with his answers. Don't forget he has to read (a few of) the questions, pick one and the answers he gives are detailed.

[MrsChristmasVamos]

I wasn't astonished that the PM went back on his words, though. It's all he actually does, well.

I cannot imagine how families like the Dowler's and McGann's must feel.

[TheHoneyDragonsDrunkInTheIvy]

Or Mnet is even more broken than Tech anticipated