Economist Say No
Another day, another publication says no to Hacked Off. The Economist’s leader calls the Royal Charter “A Rotten Deal”. They are bang on the money:
“Society has a choice. If it values freedom from intrusion more than freedom of expression, it needs state regulation. If it regards the Press as so important that freedom of expression must be protected at all costs, then it must avoid state regulation like the plague. We believe society gains more from a free Press than it loses from the tabloids’ occasional abuse of defenceless people … now a late-night deal between politicians could give politicians power over it. Fortunately, their proposal is such a mess that it looks as though it may fall apart.”
Hear, hear…
All I ever wanted is for the media to be forced to print apologies with the same prominence as the original story, if they’re caught lying. None of this extra bullshit.
Is that too much to ask?
If you are a politician it will always be embellished to the point of idiocy.
None of this is needed, we have criminal law to make wrongdoers answer, this is all about political control, if this goes through we will never see another expenses scandal, good or what.
Troughers!.
This is about payback for the Telegraph daring to exposure the piggies in the trough.
“Bob Diamond got his, why can’t I get mine?” squeals little piggy Margaret Moran
Spot on! Fortunately, as “The Economist” suggests, anything devised by the LibDems, Labour and that appalling, pig-ignorant tosser Grant is on the path to unravelment.
Hacked Off were also present. For balance an opposing body should have represented the opposing view. Celebrities and politicians want press coverage when it suits but not when it causes them embarrassment through their ashamed actions. They chose their career and understand full the implications. Now they only want publicity to cast them in a positive light irrespective of their sordid actions.
Hmm. The principle is admirable – but I don’t remember any objections to there being no opposing presence at the meetings between Central Office and Murdoch’s minions when they planned the 2010 campaign?
Politicians constantly court the press, as do so called celebs, they get very ratty when pays no attention to them so when they are caught out on some sort of misdeed they cannot complain, true we have criminal law, but it is not enforced and the course of justice is distorted, for example this phone hacking thing with NI, Trinity Mirror, and various other rags, has dragged on for years and none other leading figures have been convicted.
Someone from the Treasury leaked the budget in advance to the papers. Is Cameron or Osborne standing on a soap box about it? Ministry of Truth should not prevail, we do not want to view the world from their sordid perspective. We have better values than politicians.
The media has always been self-censoring, and works closely with whoever is the government of the day.
It only ever exposed the miss-deeds of those who stepped out of line – the politically incorrect.
Let’s hope we see another Cameron U turn ffs.
“Let’s hope we see another Cameron U turn ffs”, that’s Dave’s name, U-Turn Dave, he is being pulled from pillar to post, he has done so many U-turns he is starting to go round in circles and becoming dizzy
Much better than blundering on, and never admitting you are wrong like Gordon did!
Dizzy? Cameron is no Disraeli! Lord Beaconsfield put the interests of the country and the Conservative party first. Call me Dave panders to the Guardianista brigade and the EU!
Just as Brown was (or should have been) the tories biggest asset, Cameron is labour’s biggest asset.
Ed Balls and Red Ed are the biggest asset to the Tories.
John , I agree there, the apology should appear on the same page as the article, in the same size type, NOT repeat NOT on some back page in the smallest type they have, plus adequate compensation for having got it wrong.
Obviously!
Recent Twitter cases shows that the law can deal with rougue “publications”
IF they had offered this deal to Mrs T she would have told them where to stick it.
She lead to 4 election defeats, Cameron has lead to one near defeat and UKIP.
The first was a principled Conservative, the second is an unprincipled Spiv.
Sorry I meant 4 election victories!
I would rather Cameron any day than the two morons Milliband and Balls ! how people can even consider them being in power i dont know.Balls cant even respond to the budget honestly saying yesterday that people could buy second homes with Osbornes house scheme.Considering the way yvette and him got allowances for their 2 homes he has a cheek !
True
But when you put a wet, pathetic, spineless faux-Tory in charge of the Conservative party – this is what happens.
I dont think Cameron is bad, actually. But i dont think he gets very good advice and when he is up against world class sh*ts like labour have, it doesnt look good, and looking good is all you need in politics today after all.
It should never have come to this. A few hundred journalists, in London, deserve jail-time for what they’ve done. Blow the whistle on the lot of them – that’s the answer. Clean up the business – otherwise you’re all out of business.
This is all Millibands fault,he specialises in creating a media storm around certain situations, he whinged constantly for weeks about the press, mentioning Millie Dowler at every opportunity,at PMQs etc the press jumped on the bandwagon.Obviously they enjoyed getting at Murdoch. Cameron really didnt have much choice in the end other than to set up Levason. The people who pull Millibands strings should learn from this, they have created a monster, and interestingly shown Milliband and Balls to be completely unsuitable to lead the country.
Should start with cleaning up the Palace of Westminster first, then clean up the media and clean up the lawyers and stop them being MPs and get rid of SPADS and unpoliticise the uncivil servants and put a 10 year ban on getting jobs working in the same area they did as an uncivil servant, even to putting in a jail term if they try to get around, but then what the people want and what the rich and powerful want is two different things, all the public get is lies, spin and deceit and corrupt practices.
Not too much to ask. But there should be one addition. All editors, publishers or ‘controlling persons’ (a concept which works well elsewhere in law) should be made personally vicariously liable for the misdeeds of their employees or contractors as determined in a civil or criminal court.
“Is that too much to ask?”
Not for a useful fool.
Guido, it is imperative that you start accepting Bitcoin donations. When the government lawyers come for you, you will receive a torrent of support from the Bitcoin community. We will make sure you can afford to fight them to the hilt.
Can I has more detailz?
Nice thing about Bitcoin is that it is exchequer proof.
The Fed are looking to introduce legislation in the US as they deem it like a Ponzi scheme under the guise of “Money Laundering” oh the irony! If its got the Central Banks worried it must be a good thing for us serfs:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-03-21/us-begins-regulating-bitcoin-will-consider-virtual-transactions-money-laundering
entrust your money to an algorithm that some shadowy Germans have written, with no value of exchange, except what some other might want to pay you for them. Will never be allowed to be traded in currency markets or accepted by mainstream retailers. Will never be trusted enough by enough people.
Yankee Go Home
There must be scope for a properly-run, inetenational currency that’s independent of governments and central banks. Who could set it up, though? Toyota? The Vatican?
Wills, please make sure all your wealth is protected, cos Bitcoin and the hackers of planet earth are going to eat the Keynsian, corporatist tyranny the bankers thought they had so craftily pulled.
It was a shadowy Jap, by the way.
The monetary authorities can try doing this, and should do to guard against converting Bitcoins to and from the currency which they look after.
The point with Bitcoin though is that the entity itself can be regarded as a form of money, and a much truer one than the paper.
The move to regulate the exchanges could have the effect of spurring that transition, at least online.
The only weakness in the Bitcoin model is security of the master private keys which are used by the mints to create new coins.
Some of these have been compromised recently, but it was straightforward to void all the coins which had been produced by them, including the ‘fake’ ones. The downside was that any coins which were created by those keys were voided without recourse.
What the central banks are worried about is people making that realization and buying in to it. That you can already purchase services in Bitcoin is a first step. Being paid in Bitcoin for service without having to exchange paper.
That is a real monetary system. When you understand how the coins work and that they cannot be faked, it is just a matter of placing faith and being confident to transact in them.
Gidders says :
Can these Bitcoins be circulated as Bit- Notes ??
That way Mervyn can print squillions of them off on his machine in Threadneedle Street as Quantitative Easing through the back door .
a BILL OF WRONGS – ’30′s europe?
BBC QT fucked up last night – they obviously thought Horowitz would be a left winger, so it was actually abnormally balanced
But what happened to any solid questions?.
they got passed in the motions as usual
The lefties showed their true colours, shrill harridans deliberately blinded by their own prejudices, who got pavlovian applause from a handful of fanatics.
What was really entertaining was watching Michael Gove toeing the party line on the DEFICIT, when he so obviously agreed with Anthony Horowitz and Mark Littlewood on the measures that are needed, but not being taken.
’twas also worth watching him justify himself voting for the Hugh Grant press legislation…..
Ah yes, the “I voted to have my head cut off, because the alternative was certain death” gambit.
Unlike most of the others, Gove has that rare quality in a politician in that you can tell when he is lying, or was it that he just turned the suspension of disbelief down a bit when it suits his purpose.
I quite enjoyed watching him say that he ‘knew his place’.
I’d love to see someone like Mark Steyn on this programme. It’s unwatchable in its present biased state.
It is unwatchable which is why I no longer watch it.
This saga would make a great movie. I think I shall ask Danny Devito to play the part of Hugh Grant and Diane Abbott the part of Divine Brown
Great casting.
And Verne Troyer as Lord Leveson
Surely Ron Jeremy as Hugh Grant …..
…. although perhaps that might be ” bigging up ” Grant far too much .
Hugh Bonneville as Butch, Barry Humphries as the Digger.
But could Diane Abbott stoop that low? *titter*
This is another major reason why the LIBLABCONNERS need to be removed
Total press etc. freedom from all politicians is vital.
Fuck off Dave, Ed, Nick, Grunt, McCnuts and all your sympathisers.
Well said sir.
Lets be honest Nigel is a pygmy.He will never do much more than he is now in politics. He woiudnt be an MEP if it wasnt that nobody else wants the job, ukip have no MPs ! it would take years for them to have enough MPs to form a government, and judging by the quality of their spokes people most of them arent very bright.
So would love to be able to say Dave, Clegg or Miliband are giants in comparison, but they are pygmies compared to Nigel. And also not acting in the best interests of the UK.
Throw blind devotion out of the window for a minute and be honest, Nigel is a pub bore who obviously drinks too much.He wont do much more than he is now as the MEP salary and expenses are more than as an MP, and he wont change that. He is an embarassment !
I bet you haven’t been in a pub in years.
To open a free Bitcoin wallet in the UK, simply go to https://blockchain.info
Then go to https://localbitcoins.com and purchase from a seller with positive feedback who accepts bank transfers.
This can all be done, starting from now, in less than an hour.
(Traders may care to check out https://mtgox.com)
Shhhh! Not long now and we’ll be deemed “terrorists” for not propping up the fiat Ponzi!
Would be better to open the wallet, and then do some work for someone who will pay you with Bitcoins. Much smarter way of learning the new currency, and some economics.
I always thought it was a proposition of English Law that you could not get into trouble for telling the truth.
Not any more if this goes through.
joe – is len in?
No … he s gone the same way as Jefffrey of the Coach and Horses.
and that if one is a lawyer one cannot get into trouble for telling lies
Captn Bob, you had your porky pie times didn’t you, remember all those times you sued P-E, the smell was there but it was hard to trace where was coming from.
Of course we have freedom of the press. We can print as much money as we like.
Tell that to all the whistleblowers who’ve been sacked!
For a Rothschild owned, CFR loving rag, this isn’t that bad.
It would be good if Reuters / Bloomberg could make a little noise, as well as the FT.
This would affect them just as much, if not more.
Bit like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank.
Clegg to say that immigrants should put down a deposit which is only returned when they leave.
This should be applied to MPs when they are elected to save chasing them for reimbursement of expenses.
It is; but who decides what the truth is?
Silly boy. Truth is what we tell you. Now watch the BBC News like the trusting little innocent that you are.
Why don’t journalists compromise and agree to never give Hugh Grant or Max Mosely and publicity in the future.
But what if history repeats and Mosley pays more vulnerable girls to dress up like N@zis and thrash him while he is in the bollocky buff or Grant pays for more suck jobs in the public bogs?
Agree entirely.
Thanks for clarifying the law Diane, now FUCK off.
Thanks to Labour I can not only see tits on page 3 but on channel 172,3,5 and 180 on my digital tv.
Oh and unlike page 3 the digital tv one’s bounce.
Thanks Diana and your party for raising the bar of moral rectitude in the UK.
And a free pen just for enquiring.
I think some of those channels are Dirty Des’s, Geedo’s old paymaster
Let them watch porn but make it illegal for them to procure sugary drinks
*burp*
Ban Frosties !
Is this Official Labour party Policy? If so then they should say so and explain it to their supporters in faith groups, female exploitation groups and child protection groups. Because on the face of it Labour is the Party of Pornography does not sound a vote winner.
So Diane is in favour of Hard Core Porn and against Frosties and Lemonade. Great policies for the next manifesto.
Me and the misses had the misfortune of being seated a table away from her whilst she was eating and talking with her mouth full, now that should’ve been banned and legislated it was borderline beastiality in public.
Ooh you BBBW!
pornhub is your friend. Totally free.
Following that poll on who would do best with the economy, it has to be priority for UKIP to get their economic message across more clearly.
Coming ahead of the Lib Dems was good though.
The Economist should have a huge issue with this charter thing. They are likely irritated enough reporting what they know are completely bogus government figures, it would render their publication useless (and the rest of the financial press for that matter) if it was politically controlled.
Unintended consequence of not explicitly excluding the financial end would be driving away foreign investment. There would be no way for overseas companies to gauge the risks and state of UK economy.
Why dose nt the Economist celebrate its stance by doing another smut job on Berlusconi ….
after all the guy is virtually in chokey for either under aged sex or money laundering or bribing voters or all three —ALLEGEDLY
Come in to the real world ! ukip are only mentioned as a protest. After listening to their “deputy leader” on R4 they are not a real threat, he was as thick as 2 short planks! and the rest of thier people are nonentities.The type who want ukip dont even know they have no MPs !
Succinct.
What exactly does economist mean?
Being economic with the truth?.
There is only one person talking sense over the country’s financial crisis, and that is David Starkey. FFS would our MPs listen to him.
Avuncular Uncle Vince says :
i ve forgotten all the economics I ever learnt which originally allowed me to be referred to as an ” economist”.
( I m amazed I remembered that !!)
.
If you missed last night’s Question Time, it was a treat. A non-typical QT audience, Labour’s Emily Thornberry getting laughed at, applause for tax cuts and lower spending, Anthony Horowitz laying into Labour, the EU and Hacked Off.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rgszs/Question_Time_21_03_2013/
A Minister clearly on top of his brief, two rational pundits and two female politicians who were so fucking out of their depth it was painful to watch them.
I record QT on a Sunday, and the comments on this blog go a long way in determining whether i watch or delete it without watching. I’ll watch this one, sounds like fun.
Is there anyone out there that we haven’t insulted yet?
Amateurs! We got insulting down to an art form!
Tried to smear a train crash survivor who criticised Tony Blair by finding out if she voted Tory.
The Mc-Bridge smear campaign that would’ve targeted the spouses of Tory MPs.
Campbell leaking rumour that Dr K was seen as a “Walter Mitty figure”.
Spreading sexual rumours about Mo Mowlam in retaliation for getting a standing ovation during a speech by Tony Blair.
Calling Danny Alexander a ginger rat.
Calling a lifelong Labour voter a bigot.
Yep, when it comes to insulting people, we’re the ones to beat.
I agree labour are world leaders in smear and untruths. I now think Milliband and Balls both have mental problems, as i dont know how normal people could behave as they do.
I hear Larry the Cat is seeking asylum back in Battersea.
TOP TIP !
If you are slightly famous and don’t want to get bad publicity , then don’t go getting a $5 dollar whore to munch your stump in public
That sort of talk can get you into trouble, the monetary value of the transaction is not proven.
Hughie will be so proud in a few years time when the the 2 kids he has had with his chinese “actress” friend are old enough to google him !
They will be “blown away” by his infamy
This woman shows welfare reforms need to go further. People like her should be given a choice: find work or ALL benefits cut permanently and for all time.
Wrong , people like her should be slaughtered and put into the third world food chain , with a health warning that if you don’t get off your lazy arse and work your way out of poverty , it will happen to you
or they could just be rendered down for glue
This is a typical Labour voter and they want to ban free speech but still take benefits ! I would not want to be a Labour voter and be included with the likes of this scrounger, well in fact that really is what Labour stands for take it from those that work and distibute it to the likes of this ******* ie The Gospel Of Envy. Shame that the Conservative Party Leader is a Socialist as well. All benefits should be paid in vouchers to buy specific goods and not cash, I hope that UKIP has a policy to put a stop to this benefit culture.
Put Grant back in his squalid little box and never ever give him the oxygen of the press ever again. One must remember that people like Grant rely on the press/media to propel them to the so called stardom. The press really ought to stop giving all Celebs print space, stop reporting so much on the Oscars and so on, they will soon toe the line. Sad thing is that the three main Political Parties included them during discussions. The Labour Party has a lot to answer for in wanting to ban Free Speech, the Newspapers should report these facts more and Well Done The Spectator,all thinking people are behind you !
I would like to meet the regulator that can regulate Mumsnet
Mumsnet is a very peculiar place ! i often look at other people and think ” do you have strange ideas like the mumsnet loonies” they seem to spend their whole lives either whingeing about their mothers in law ,or checking their husbands mobile in case he is having an affair!
Why aren’t the Mormons out wrecking the world and threatening death to South Park like the Muslims do?
I have never read The Economist but they are spot on. The current laws, if properly enforced, are quite sufficent to cover all of Hacked-Off’s issues. Legislation made in a hurry is always bad legislation.
The recent case of Siobahan McDonagh and her telephone is a case in point. The thief who broke into her car and stole her mobile should be caught and properly
punished, the newspapers who received stolen goods and then sought to take advantage from it should be punished, with journalists,editors and proprietors all gaining from it they should all do jail time. Compensatiion of £50,000 is not a deterrent.Our present laws cover this.
Wouldn’t have been easier just to provide free hookers?
Don’t be silly. That would destroy one of George’s most profitable business sidelines.
Day 12. Porridge cold and lumpy. Still no fruitcake from Carina. I am losing the will to lie.
You were Carina’s fruitcake.
Here have some of my yoghurt.
Won’t somebody please think of the celebrities?
If you carry on publishing comments saying how unbelievably crap my scheme is, I will make a full complaint to Max Mosley and he will come round and you can thrash him!
Tory transparency.
Lots of the media coverage trying to make hay with the publication of Thatcher’s private papers and Tory splits at the time concerning decisions going to war after the Falklands invasion. At least there was full party deliberation before the decision.
Little mention of the contrast to Bliar’s lies, a sofa-politics clique avoiding a full cabinet decision, before starting an illegal war in Iraq.
This Royal Charter would appear to be the modern day equivalent of Labour’s extensive use of paper shredders where those with dubious dealings attempt to avoid full disclosure of anything the public has a right to know.
That a blow job would cause such an outpouring.
I don’t think being ordered to regulate oneself by Hugh Grant can be counted as self regulation
It is a bit like being tossed off by a prozzer can’t really be classed as having a wank
I bow to your extensive knowledge and expertise in such matters.
“It is clear to all but the very stupid that the new system should only apply to big media”.
Well that explains the mouth frothing on this site.
Never mind Guido. You can always do an Assange and ask for asylum with your friends in the Russian embassy if the heat gets too much.
Talking about Mr Assange what efforts have been made to bring him to justice in the UK Courts during the last 14 days ?
He has been in breach of bail for ages now and his continued evasion is giving the entire system a very bad name.
Luckily we have a free Press in the Uk to bring this and other matters to our attention.
If we had to rely upon Mr Milliband and Mr Cameron at PMQ’s we would be completely lost .
If it had not been for Watson asking Cameron that question in parliament a lot of people would not be going around thinking these politicians have something to hide.
Chr!s Bry@nt, I’ve got the other photo. Sort out an apology now.
He was just on Sky trying (very badly) to explain what the new proposed bail bond for visitors is and how it is going to work. Only one detail missing – how much?