John Whittingdale has called Brian to give evidence as a witness to his CMS select committee. According to the Sun he’s been kicking up a fuss about turning up, arguing that judges don’t have to explain their position to MPs. Which all makes for an interesting constitutional stand-off. Popcorn…
Who would have thought that Hacked Off, the lobbyists granted private access to Downing Street and given a sofa in Ed Miliband’s office during the crucial press regulation talks, could have possibly broken parliamentary lobbying rules? John Dickinson-Lilley, Hacked Off’s top lobbyist, failed to declare his position in the register of interests. Lord Low, who sponsors him for a pass, tellingly says “he has a pass courtesy of me but doesn’t work for me”.
Until yesterday the register of interests had Dickinson-Lilley down as an employee of the charity Sense, which he left last year to join Hugh and co. Yet for some reason forget to mention his new job. Hacked Off not being completely transparent? Shocker.
When the Leveson lovers story broke, Brian responded by telling Tory MP Rob Wilson that “Ms Patry Hoskins assisted in the largely mechanical exercise of collecting and organising the evidence”. Adding that “absolutely no role” in work on the section of the report addressing the culture, practices and ethics of the press. Well today we learn she was paid £218,606 for this apparently limited role. It does not add up…
The Sun having some fun at the Loverson lovers’ expense today.
Three months after Guido first reported that the star had been questioned and three weeks after this blog reported his arrest, the old media have finally run the Rolf Harris story. There was never any court order or injunction preventing publication, the delay was the decision of the editors alone. Harbottle and Lewis can put pressure on the papers to keep stories quiet, but it merely hands the scoop to the free press on the unregulated internet. Chilling..
See also: Can You See What It Is Yet? and Rolf Harris Arrested By Operation Yewtree Police
An 82-year-old man from Berkshire has been arrested on suspicion of sexual offences as part of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse investigation accord to the Metropolitan Police. Guido understands that it is Rolf Harris.
He was – as Guido reported at the time – interviewed by the police under caution in January. There was no legal reason to not report this news – the papers chose not to for their own reasons…
