Harry v. NGN

[Atlasvue]

Starting a thread for Tuesday.
This BBC article covers the basics. This is the last line ….
’Tuesday really is the beginning of the end. And someone is going to lose - and lose big.’

I have a feeling, that Harry won’t win but he just wants to use the public setting to air his grievances. A therapy session would have worked out much cheaper.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l00xkgwnyo

I don't think NGN has admitted anything that can be used against them. They're not that stupid.

The US don't give a damn about Harry and the U.K. , they have bigger fish to fry .

@mainecooncatonahottinroof I did not like how what happened was being twisted and untruths were posted. The truth matters.

I don't like untruths or twisted truths either!

Yes this is the aspect I'm quite fascinated by.

I'm not sold on the narrative that this was a clever game of brinkmanship by Harry team.

The major costs come from the in depth work pre-trial rather than the trial itself.

As such, as the costs increased this put more pressure on H to settle rather than NGN.

My guess is that when the costs were tallied up they were getting dangerously close to the offer previously made by NGN.

In the context of the VF article, postponing of M's show (and ARO) and indications the Netflix deal won't be renewed I would hope that someone pointed out to Harry that his social justice crusade was writing cheques his income couldn't afford to cash.

If it's true he blinked first, then he also was not in the best negotiating position.

NGN were ready for court, even if they didn't want to go down that route. They can absorb the costs comparatively easily.

So, I'd agree with your assessment. I'm sure the settlement was a huge sum but I'm not convinced it would have been significantly higher than previously offered and in the period before agreement was reached Harry's costs would have escalated significantly.

To be clear (for others) I don't begrudge his payout and I'm happy to see NGN pay for what they did. Neither do I want to see Harry bankrupt.

But I'm also not going gloss over his hypocrisy (which we see time and time again) about how he calls out other people's behaviours whilst engaging in similar practices (or turning a blind eye) himself, whether that be settling cases, bulling, climate change or f'ing people over for $$$.

Anyho I'm off to bed , enjoy the discussion all.

It’s a carefully worded apology but as I said before - you would have to be obtuse to think they didn’t know what their PIs were upto something dodgy.
NGN clearly wanted to avoid going to court as it would be difficult to argue that. Hence this unprecedented apology.

Prince Harry and Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way,

This has not finished. Both Tom Watson and Prince Harry are going to continue their fight.
High Grant apologised to Harry when he had to settle his case as he could not risk bankruptcy.

That is the real issue. These massive corporations like NGN have so much money and power that it is difficult for individuals to hold them to account when they act unlawfully.

The sum offered to Harry will have been larger than the costs he would have had to pay to NGN even if he won in court. That would be millions of pounds.
Harry has made money, but he is not a billionaire.

Absolutely it does, but whose truth? The actual truth or Meghan and Harry's, which has so often turned out to be lies? The getting married before their wedding, and latterly the multiple accusations of bullying that have been denied?

If you feel the "truth matters", then surely you have to condemn the lies?

💯
If only some of the people would just see beyond their petty hatred of H&M - they would see what an important area a properly regulated press is for all of us. Harry’s mission with illegal press intrusion is part of that process.

As Tom Watson said, Harry is a brave man.

And NGN will get their petty revenge on Harry by writing loads of critical articles every time he sneezes in public.

@jeffgoldblum night, nice to see you - haven't noticed you much recently.

Why is he "brave"? He's made a fool of himself, coming out with pronouncements he wasn't able to fulfil.

He's no better than Hugh Grant, who at least was honest about settling.

It just shows how, if the odds are so stacked against multimillionaires, what chance has Joe Public got?

I agree. A properly regulated press would benefit us all. This is an important fight.
It would have helped my family when journalists were behaving terribly. But we are just little people so have no real come back. Meanwhile the story moves onto the next thing and the real people hurt by the way the press have behaved are forgotten.

@mainecooncatonahottinroof , thanks , I've been reading and following but as myself would probably say ' life got in the way!' 😃

JoyousGrey and Polka. Agree. To get such an apology AND a settlement is a victory. Well done that man.
It will rankle with some of course because dislike of Harry overrides everything of course.

@mainecooncatonahottinroof He is brave because NGN will take petty revenge and publish lots of horrible articles about Harry and Meghan. He will know that. They are going to try and make his life a misery.

And that is the whole point! Even millionaires can not fully hold the press to account. Which is why Harry and Tom Watson are saying they are going to push parliament for proper regulation.

@JoyousGreyOrca
I am sorry for what your family have been through. I hope Harry’s persistence evolves into meaningful change.

You didn't quote a particular comment I made, so I don't know what you were responding to particularly.

You said this: When the police realised her phone had been hacked it was all over the press for weeks. Which is untrue. Surrey Police, Mercia Police and (apparently) the Met knew she had been hacked in 2002. There was no press about it because they didn't reveal it, investigate it or do anything else about it - except for Surrey collaborating with the NOTW journalists who did it. 3 police forces did nothing whatsoever about hacking. Nothing was done about it between 2002 and 2005.

Your previous assertion that some AN Other would/could have blown the whistle on the NOTW if William's case hadn't been investigated is based on nothing factual, all the more so since the police knew about it and seemed to have allowed it to happen unchecked in the years between 2002-5, as pointed out in Parliament in 2012:

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “The information provided by Surrey Police raises serious questions over what they knew about phone hacking and when.

“Had they acted in 2002 or had Sussex Police flagged this up in their review of Operation Ruby it may have prevented the culture of hacking becoming endemic at News of the World.

It took someone of William's status/clout/particular circumstances for the police to act. Which is bloody tragic, but it's the historic fact of the matter.

Will you give over with the shite about "hatred" and be an adult about the whole thing!!

I don't see anyone here "hating" Harry. I know I don't. I find it perfectly easy to criticise his behaviour but hate him, no. I don't have enough energy to give to that and I am sure he is perfectly pleasant and affable if I met him. I did once meet him very briefly.

I used to think he was an asset to the RF but in the last few years, I've been disappointed by the things he's said and done. I'm sure he doesn't give a flying one though.

I reserve my hatred, sparingly, for those who cross me in real life lol.

@Polka83 Thank you, that means a lot.
"Luckily" it was just normal press intrusion and bad behaviour. We were not led to believe our family member could be alive when they were already dead. That must have been devastating for the family.

This was an important class action. It is sad to see many attack it because of their hatred of Harry.

Listen, news sells. They know they can't print anything that isn't true, because he will sue. Don't you think he's a 'target' anyway for news stories? All the more reason because he keeps making a tit of himself, and while he does that, he will be reported upon by all the news outlets.

It was the king’s son wot won it.

@Partybagprick that is not how the Leveson enquiry happened. I am actually quite upset that you care so much about elevating William, that you are willing to keep repeating untruths.

Press intrusion and their illegal behaviour matters. The class action Harry was part of matters. The fight Tom Watson and Harry say they are going to continue for proper press regulation matters.