Government fails to curb power of the press

Not content in corrupting the essential democratic institutions of Great Britain through money, influence and wholesale abuse of the privileges of a free press, Rupert Murdoch has been exposed in a failed attempt to use his Fox News media empire to stealthily recruit, bankroll and support the presidential candidacy of General David Petraeus in the 2012 election.

Veteran journalist Carl Bernsein has written in The Guardian how the US media has under-reported the story, despite it being revealed in a tape recording obtained by Bob Woodward, whose account of their discussion was published in the Washington Post.

British actor Hugh Grant will be donating his "substantial settlement" from his phone hacking claim against former Murdoch paper the News of the World to the Hacked Off campaign. After a meeting with Maria Miller, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Oliver Letwin, the Minister of State for Policy, Professor Brian Cathcart, Director of Hacked Off, said:

“We urge ministers now to do as the judge recommended. Instead of engaging in elaborate political manoeuvres that rely on undemocratic royal prerogative, they should introduce a single, straightforward bill to Parliament that creates an effective recognition body and at the same time guarantees press freedom.

“As Gerry McCann has said, this is the very minimum required to protect the public in the future from the kinds of abuses that made the Leveson Inquiry necessary.”