This is the End

[pred]

Has Camoron dropped a clanger, by refusing to act on Levison recommendations he's alienating himself not only from the Limp Dems but also members of his own party, could we soon see a vote of no confidence??

http://youtu.be/ZDN9y2vTdUs

 

[joe-90]

He's still in Murdoch's pocket. Come the election the Murdoch press will be strongly pro Tory and the silly swinging voters will vote for him - at least that's the theory.

He's in reverse.

Backing down over minimum price for alcohol,

Backing down over the bedroom tax.

As for the April benefit cap - that was always going to be a climb-down.

 

[Graeme1983]

Good tune, havent heard that for a while.

 

[Astra99]

Bear in mind that once statutory regulation of the press is in place, it is VERY easy for subsequent governments, who may be "considerably more dictatorial" than anything since Cromwell, to (ab)use it for their own ends.

I agree wholeheartedly that the actions of the press over phone hacking and various other high-profile cases were abominable, but the legislation to deal with that is already enshrined in law in this country, with prosecutions on-going, and of course, our Civil law can also be used.

I pose the question. Would we have known of the Parliamentary Expenses Scandal if the press had been regulated?

How about asking some of the former Eastern-bloc citizens, who are working over here, what is is like living in a country where freedom of speech and of the press is "compromised"?

 

[mdf290]

The media is full of lies and untruths already. A scenario where the govt has control of the media would be even worse.

The situation where the press listened in to private information was a breach of privacy but the issue really went tits up when they decided to publish or use that information.

Some of the information the press reported was in the public interest.

It was wrong to invade privacy but in the current world order I would be even more scared of the consequences of not finding things out.

I would have loved the press to have been intercepting voicemails of the head of the NHS right now for example but if the changes are put into place many serious issues will not come to light.

Cameron may be in the pocket of the media but thankfully this has meant he is pulling away from shackling the press.

To have any form of democracy you must have a free press.

You have to take the rough with the smooth and a few bruised egos and some compensation payments are a small price to pay for the wonderful idea that the press can publish any story it wishes.

 

[pred]

mdf290, you make some valid points, however do you condone the following;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world

 

[AronSearle]

mdf290, you make some valid points, however do you condone the following;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world[/QUOTE]

Did you read your own link?

The very first sentence "The News of the World illegally targeted"

So they already broke the law, got caught, and because of this we need more laws?

It's like saying, because people shoplift, and get caught, we need more laws against shoplifting, maybe some kind of shopper regulation?

You get the government you deserve.