Gerry McCann: PM 'missing historic opportunity

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/384398/PM-missing-historic-opportunity

PM 'missing historic opportunity'

A "historic opportunity" for press reform could be "squandered" following the end of cross-party talks into regulation, the father of missing Madeleine McCann said.

Gerry McCann said David Cameron was faced with a "binary choice" between newspaper barons or the victims of press intrusion.

His comments come after the Prime Minister yesterday pulled the plug on efforts to reach a cross-party consensus, announcing he will bring the matter to a head by forcing a vote in the House of Commons on Monday.

The dramatic move prompted campaigners to accuse Mr Cameron of a "shameless betrayal of victims of press abuse".

Mr McCann and his wife Kate, whose daughter went missing when the family was on holiday in Portugal in 2007, gave moving evidence during the Leveson Inquiry about their experience at the hands of the media, where Mr McCann described how his wife felt "mentally raped" by the News of the World's publication of her intensely-personal diary.

The coverage of the disappearance of Madeleine was given by Lord Justice Leveson as an example of how stories ran "totally out of control".

In the wake of the dramatic end to cross-party talks, Mr McCann told the Press Association: "What concerns me greatly is that an historic opportunity for press reform may be about to be squandered. Lord Justice Leveson's proposals were measured and modest. They didn't go far enough in my view. But I and other victims of gross press misconduct were prepared to regard them as the minimum acceptable compromise.

"We gave evidence to the inquiry so that some lasting good might come out of a horrendous experience. We want our politicians to protect us, to stand up for the ordinary victims instead of siding with the wealthy and powerful. On Monday, it comes down to a binary choice: the newspaper barons or the people they abused in search of profit. Leveson or more of the same. It is as simple as that."

When the Leveson report was published in November, Mr McCann said if its recommendations on press regulation were not implemented, giving evidence to the inquiry would have been "almost useless".

He urged politicians to "do the right thing" and accept in full the suggestions for a new regulatory system, while his wife said she hoped it would mark the start of a new era for the press, urging Mr Cameron to "embrace the report and act swiftly".

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Hope no-one is expecting anything resembling decency from Cameron?

Olly ‏@OlwynMassey
Gerry McCann to appear on BBC news channel within next half hour, just announced #McCann

Stand by for another outpouring of bile from the haters and forkers.

Just seen it - a very short piece, with Gerry McCann saying he agrees with Ed Miliband's ideas for reform.

Personally, I don't know what Cameron is playing at. He's giving every impression of being terrified of upsetting the press barons.

Mr. Cameron, you as a PM, who represents the UK people who voted in you (the majority) along with the rest of UK citizens, do what is expect from you, about this issue or historic opportunity, do what is right.

Pedro Silva wrote:Mr. Cameron, you as a PM, who represents the UK people who voted in you (the majority) along with the rest of UK citizens, do what is expect from you, about this issue or historic opportunity, do what is right.

Well, his party got 36% of the vote, not quite the majority.

Mind you, if Scotland goes its own way, he would be sitting pretty.

Gerry McCann speaking about Leveson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M9TAL58gcmI

Something else for the 8rs to froth about:

http://news.sky.com/story/1065991/leveson-parties-reach-press-regulation-deal

Looks like there has been some kind of deal struck. My money's on Cameron backing down.

JillyCL ‏@JillyCL
There's something VERY shady about the #McCanns being alone in NOT having their phones hacked. #DirtyDeals £$€ #McCann

What, because they changed the password from the factory default setting? She does know no-one was actually 'hacked'? No?

I think she's confused - again.

Of course, it must be hard to keep up with technology at her age, and she does get confused easily.

She is probably allowed an hour or two a day before the nice nurse gives her her knock out pills......

Meanwhile, back at Westminster....

Press regulation deal struck by parties

A deal has been struck between the three main political parties on a new press regulation regime in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

An independent regulator will be set up by royal charter with powers to impose million pound fines on, and demand upfront apologies from, publishers.

The prime minister has outlined to MPs the scope of the formal document, which will set out the regulator's powers.

Press reform campaign group Hacked Off has welcomed the deal.

The deal follows Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press ethics, which found that journalists had hacked thousands of phones. He called for a new, independent regulator backed by legislation designed to assess whether it is doing its job properly.

David Cameron said the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour had agreed on a new system of "tough independent self-regulation that will deliver for victims and meet the principles set out in (Leveson's) report".

He said a new system would ensure:

upfront apologies from the press to victims
million pound fines
a self-regulatory body with independent appointments and funding
a robust standards code
a free arbitration service for victims
a speedy complaints system
The charter defines publishers as newspapers, magazines or websites containing news-related material.

But there was confusion over how the plans would extend to the rest of the internet - with one Downing Street aide telling the BBC it would not cover blogs such as Guido Fawkes' political commentary.

From:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21825823

Sounds to me like Cameron caved in?

And as for 'Guido Fawkes' - I am afraid I have very rapidly lost respect for him, as he is little more than a Murdoch mouthpiece now.

Or 'shill', as JCL would say.

Just had this in my email box!

The Leveson Agreement

A thank you and a look to the future

Today, Hacked Off on behalf of the victims of press abuse, have welcomed the cross-party agreement on implementing the Leveson recommendations on press self-regulation.

The Royal Charter laid out to Parliament this afternoon will protect the freedom of the press and the public from the kinds of abuses that made the Leveson Inquiry necessary.

The Charter sets out the terms for independent self-regulation that will deal fairly with complaints while ensuring corrections cannot be hidden away. It will have the power to conduct thorough investigations and impose meaningful sanctions. It will offer an arbitration service that is free for the public to access and there will be no press veto on who runs it.

In addition, the Charter will be protected by minimal statute to ensure that politicians from all parties cannot readily change its terms. While we would have preferred a simpler route to reform, we believe this Royal Charter will deliver what Lord Justice Leveson recommend and therefore support it.

This is not our final word, however, we must assure you all that we are not going anywhere just yet. This is a historic day but there is still work to be done. We will not become complacent or stop working on behalf of our supporters until the new self-regulatory system is up, running and working to your satisfaction.

In the meantime, all of us involved in the campaign would like to extend our thanks and admiration to all of you: supporters, friends and members of the public who have made your voice heard in your thousands. We could not have done this without your support and we are extremely grateful.

We will be back in touch soon.

Interesting, Maggs, and a bit of solid information, as opposed to opinion.

I have to say, I was disgusted with Cameron (not that that's unusual) claiming Churchill-like status. The press has, with a few honourable exceptions, NOT been exposing corrupt political practices; instead, it's been merrily destroying lives to sell a few more copies of their scandal sheets and keep the advertisers happy.

That's not 'freedom of the press'; it's pandering to the baying mob for money.

The most important part of this is

.... Charter will be protected by minimal statute to ensure that politicians from all parties cannot readily change its terms.

which means that no political party can fiddle with it or pretend it doesn't exist cos they don't like something in the Charter. This is the same as various other institutions who have a Charter. Ordinary legislation would be open in the future to tampering, this is not. LL

I was disgusted with Cameron too, Bonny.

But he still has to keep Brookes and crooks happy. He seems awfully scared of any independent regulator.

If there's no independence, whats the point, he'll still throw his dummy out of the pram, like a mardy kid.
IN my opinion of course.

Something else for them to froth about:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21825823

Announcing the draft royal charter, Mr Cameron told MPs: "What happened to the Dowlers, to the McCanns, to Christopher Jeffries and to many other innocent people who've never sought the limelight was utterly despicable.

"It is right that we put in place a new system of press regulation to ensure such appalling acts can never happen again. We should do this without any further delay."

Montclair/Carolina shoves her Team Gonc oar in:

Re: Are we wasting our time?
Montclair Today at 9:11 pm

I agree that the McCanns have really p*ssed off the press now. They used and abused the press and now are biting the hands that fed them. They also seem to forget that if it hadn't been for the rosy coloured stories about them just after the disappearance, no one would have donated money to their fund. I am glad that the Mail, Sun and Telegraph do not want to comply with these regulations and hopefully it will be sabotaged.

Why on earth would the press be p*ssed off with the McCanns? It wasn't the McCanns' fault that the press, especially the Express, swallowed a load of bullsh*t being spewed out by sources in the PJ which turned out to be lies - and nasty lies, at that.

And I must have missed the 'rosy-coloured stories' - I do remember all the sick lies that were printed. Lies that the 8rs and Gonc cult are still desperately repeating as Troof.

If folk had known all that garbage was lies from Team Gonc, then MORE money would have been donated.

And she wants to see British media law sabotaged, does she? Thankfully, her opinion is of no value whatsoever; she should stick to CdM, the tabloid which makes the Star look intelligent.

Actually, the Star is far superior to CdM; it doesn't print lurid stories about sexual abuse, complete with illustrations of abuse, or reviews of those sex fairs that seem so popular in her homeland.

In the UK, the participants in these public orgies would be regarded as a bunch of hard-faced slappers and dirty old men, not as 'artistes'.

The first page of CdM sometimes induces a longing to be able to bleach one's eyeballs to remove the memories of bare backsides. And fronts.

PS - yes, you are wasting your time, every single hate-driven one of you. The tock is never going to tick for you, the tide is never going to turn.

The press will, however, continue to want to sell papers. So look out for more stories about GUN NUT TROLLS.

Joana Morais ‏@xklamation
If you haven't yet, sign the Defamation Bill petition http://www.libelreform.org/dontkillthebill #libelreform #carterruck #mccann #trafigura

She'd be better employed cleaning up her own backyard instead of telling Brits what to do.

Amazing.

It keeps her from telling the hounders and forkers what is happening over in Portugal.