Former Plaid MP has Adam Price has claimed that MPs held back in an inquiry into phone-hacking allegations for fear that their own private lives could be targeted, a former MP has claimed.
Adam said it was "regrettable" that the culture committee had not been tougher last year. He said it had been wrong not to force News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to attend a hearing.
He added that he hoped the standards committee would "stand firm where we didn't".
Adam said the culture committee should have used "the nuclear option" and forced Mrs Brooks to attend.
Under parliamentary rules, MPs can compel witnesses to attend committee hearings - but they have rarely exercised that power.
"We decided not to," said Mr Price. "I think to some extent because of what I was told at the time by a senior Conservative member of the committee, who I know was in direct contact with NI execs, that if we went for her, called her back, subpoenaed her, they would go for us."
He added: "Which meant effectively that they would delve into our personal lives in order to punish them, and I think that's part of the reason we didn't do it."
Peter Black take on this is unbelievably coy but then he could hardly back a Plaid Politician could he?
The Idea that MPs are afraid of News International. was also mooted by Labour MP Tom Watson. Who in the debate on the Hacking scandal claimed “Politicians from the Prime Minister down are scared of standing up to “assassins” in the media”.
Attacked the “barons of the media”.
He claimed: “They have no predators. They are untouchable. They laugh at the law. They sneer at parliament. They have the power to hurt us, and they do, with gusto and precision, with joy and criminality”.
For this statement he was mocked by the Independent Simon Carr.
Yes the “Independent” which when it comes to the wire, backs its fellow media mates over democracy and fairness.
Both Adam Price and Tom Watson, have exposed what many of us have long suspected threat the Media protect their powers with the threat of exposure of any who stand in their way.
Even if you personally have nothing to hide they will go for your friends and family.
And if James Murdoch (Rupert’s son) gets its way then Sky will be allowed by the coalition government to ditch political neutrality (or at least the pretence) and copy it’s American counterpart Fox News and adopt a aggressive right wing agenda. Where Tea Party supporters like Glen Beck are given free rein.
Beck recently celled President Obama a racist saying.
That Obama has exposed himself as a person with "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."
If the Murdochs are given a similar free rein by the Coalition Government then the result will be even worsr than America because the lack of alternative coverage only the BBC will be there to callenge them and. Sky will becone like the News of the World a nasty right wing outlet maquarading as the voice of the people.
Our Politicians and the rest of the Media (Including Simon Carr) must stand up to News International and call them to account
Stanley Baldwin (3August 1867 – 14 December 1947) once said of the Media that it had....
"Power without responsibility — the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages".
A free press is precious to our democracy a press that runs the country through fear and intimidation is a threat.
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