GG news of the World

[Acidmouse]

http://gawker.com/5820243/jon-stewart-tackles-the-news-of-the-world-scandal

well funny..

[kinboshi]

(Let alone what the scum, alledgedly, did to the Brown family's medical records)

The rumour mill is suggesting it wasn't hacking, might have been a leak, might have been a plant by the Browns. Most odd...

Gordon went out of his way not to suggest illegality:
“You’re in public life. And this story appears. You don’t know how it’s appeared. I’ve not questioned how it’s appeared. I’ve not made any allegations about how it’s appeared. I’ve not made any claims about [how it appeared]. But the fact is it did appear. And it did appear in the Sun newspaper.”

It was 'blagging' - and yes it was illegal.  Why should an organisation that has shown it is completely amoral with regards to privacy and the law surrounding it have decided to follow a 'correct' and legal route in this one instance?

[Bongo]

Was it actually social engineering (a far more correct term imo)? Or was it leaked by someone for their own purposes? Or even planted by a member of the government?

And I'm not sure if you're describing the tabloids of the government, but I'd assume the worst in both cases.

[kinboshi]

Was it actually social engineering (a far more correct term imo)? Or was it leaked by someone for their own purposes? Or even planted by a member of the government?

And I'm not sure if you're describing the tabloids of the government, but I'd assume the worst in both cases.

I was referring to News Int.

[Bongo]

http://twitter.com/#!/tombradby

tombradby tom bradby
Breaking News; Sun sources claim they got the story on Fraser from a Brown family friend. So now it looks like all out war.

tombradby tom bradby
The Sun also claims it didn't pay anything for the story.

Government it was then, good call boshi!

[kinboshi]

http://twitter.com/#!/tombradby

tombradby tom bradby
Breaking News; Sun sources claim they got the story on Fraser from a Brown family friend. So now it looks like all out war.

tombradby tom bradby
The Sun also claims it didn't pay anything for the story.

Government it was then, good call boshi!

The sun and sun sources are suddenly reliable and truthful!!

[boldie]

Brown seems to disagree with Mr Bradby;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/12/phone-hacking-gordon-brown-news-international

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14112097

although I have no time for Brown as a politician, I VERY much doubt that he would use his sick child as a publicity tool.

Also, Mr Bradby seems to have had issues with Brown for ages

[Bongo]

Where has he disagreed?

His statement seems very careful to say nothing other than the story appeared in the Sun...

[boldie]

Where has he disagreed?

His statement seems very careful to say nothing other than the story appeared in the Sun...

This passage

In tears. Your son is now going to be broadcast across the media. Sarah and I were incredibly upset about it. We were thinking about his long-term future. We were thinking about our family. But there's nothing that you can do about it. You're in public life. And this story appears. You don't know how it's appeared. I've not questioned how it's appeared. I've not made any allegations about how it's appeared. I've not made any claims about [how it appeared]. But the fact is it did appear. And it did appear in the Sun newspaper."

It seems to me to imply that it definitely didn't come from him and the whole "Brown family friend" thing also doesn't fly. That's just what tabloids say when they don't actually want to disclose a source or have made up a story.

I would be stunned if this came from a political ally of Brown.

[Bongo]

He hasn't responded to those allegations though, nor does his statement say anything other than the Sun published the story.

Also odd that he didn't say anything at the time (2006)... If he was that upset why did he attend Rebekah Brook's (editor of the Sun when the article was published) wedding in 2009? Why did Sarah Brown organise her 40th birthday party (2008) and invite her to a slumber party at Chequers:

"More than a dozen female friends, mosty with a media background, have been invited to stay the night [at Chequers]. Guests include Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi and his daughter Elisabeth, the television presenter Claudia Winkleman and newspaper editor Rebekah Wade. It is thought Mr Brown will be at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, at the time but will not be involved in the party which is being paid for by the Browns."

It doesn't add up...

[boldie]

Because he wanted to get elected..and you can't do that if you piss the sun off.

[Bongo]

Because he wanted to get elected..and you can't do that if you piss the sun off.

On the wedding front I would agree but I don't think you have to plan parties for the editor and invite her to a slumber party at your house to not piss them off...

[Bongo]

afneil Andrew Neil
Labour conference 2009. Brown calls Murdoch to stop Sun deserting to Tories. Fails. "I will destroy you," growls Brown, slams down phone.
4 hours ago

also:

afneil Andrew Neil
The Surrey police knew Milli Dowler's phone hacked in 2002. Yet did nothing. Why?

[Bongo]

In 2008 Paul Dacre (left), the editor of the Daily Mail, gave a speech to the Society of Editors that covered this. And who did he praise for helping to ensure that journalists don't go to jail for blagging? It was Gordon Brown.

Here's the key section.


    The fourth issue we raised with Gordon Brown was a truly frightening amendment to the Data Protection Act, winding its way through Parliament, under which journalists faced being jailed for two years for illicitly obtaining personal information such as ex-directory telephone numbers or an individual's gas bills or medical records. This legislation would have made Britain the only country in the free world to jail journalists and could have had a considerable chilling effect on good journalism.

    The Prime Minister – I don't think it is breaking confidences to reveal – was hugely sympathetic to the industry's case and promised to do what he could to help.

    Over the coming months and battles ahead, Mr Brown was totally true to his word. Whatever our individual newspapers' views are of the Prime Minister – and the Mail is pretty tough on him - we should, as an industry, acknowledge that, to date, he has been a great friend of press freedom.

(that's from the Guardian!)

[kukushkin88]

I don't see why Gordon Brown's bad temper and bad judgement are particularly relevant to what's actually at stake here. Rupert Murdoch's organisation is accused of and in many cases has admitted to very serious criminality.