Reports that Matter

An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press

APPENDICES

Section 132 of 140

APPENDICES

Lord O'Donnell: • para 26, on limiting the meetings with members of the media which are published, http:// www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Witness-Statement-of-Lord- ODonnell.pdf • 36/15-38/2, on not disclosing meetings with journalists, http://www.levesoninquiry.org. uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-14-May-2012.pdf • pp3-7, discussions of amendments to the Ministerial Code with regard to transparency, that the increase in transparency was limited, http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp- content/uploads/2012/05/Exhibit-LOD-1.pdf • paras 28-31, on changes in government communications to be more open and transparent, http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Witness-Statement-of- Lord-ODonnell.pdf • 20/12-21/9, on changing the lobby system in relation to who was allowed in and how it could be reported; 76/19-77/17, on a London-centric atmosphere at the lobby, http:// www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning- Hearing-14-May-2012.pdf • para 10, that there should be greater transparency about personal relationships, http:// www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Witness-Statement-of-Lord- ODonnell.pdf • paras 5-6, on the importance of transparency; 9-11, the importance of transparency and the need for greater transparency; 23, increasing transparency in the role of special advisors who brief media; pp. 10-11, on the need for transparency, http://www.levesoninquiry. org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Witness-Statement-of-Lord-ODonnell.pdf

George Osborne MP • paras 2.2, 2.4, on incomplete records of interactions with members of the media, http:// www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Witness-Statement-of- George-Osborne-MP.pdf • 10/13-11/9, on incomplete records of interactions with members of the media, http:// www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Transcript-of-Afternoon- Hearing-11-June-2012.pdf

Jeremy Paxman: • para 3.2, on the risk of undisclosed close personal relationships, http://www.levesoninquiry. org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Witness-Statement-of-Jeremy-Paxman.pdf

Jack Straw MP: • 17/10-17/13, that the lobby has been even more incestuous than it is today, http://www. levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-16- May-2012.pdf

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Appendix 5 | Evidence Relevant to the Generic Conclusions on the Relationship Between Politicians and the Press: Part I Chapter 8

  1. The consequences of excessive proximity

Conclusion

(iv) In consequence of, or associated with, this relationship of inappropriate closeness,

politicians have conducted themselves, contrary to the public interest, so as to: a. place themselves in a position in which they risked becoming vulnerable to unaccountable influences, in a manner which was potentially in conflict with their responsibilities in relation to the conduct of public affairs; b. permit, accept or encourage the power and dominance of certain voices in the press, to the impoverishment of public debate and the formulation and implementation of public policy; c. miss a number of clear opportunities decisively to address, and persistently fail to respond more generally to public concern about, the culture practices and ethics of the press; d. seek to control and manipulate the supply of news and information to the public in return for favourable treatment by sections of the press, to a degree and by means going beyond the fair and reasonable partisan conduct of public debate, particularly bearing in mind the responsibilities of parties in government.

Evidence base and factual summary

Tony Blair:

• 3/21-5/19, on his decision as a leader not to confront the issue of politicians' relationship

with the press; 6/25-7/16, on responsibility for not confronting issues of proximity and the power of the press; 12/24-13/16, on his "strategic decision" not to take on the media, and the fear of the media's power; 43/19-43/22, that an inquiry on cross-media ownership would have been "a distraction for the Labour party coming into office"; 44/2-46/21, on communication with Rupert Murdoch on the issue of an inquiry into media ownership; 53/21-60/18, on the power of the press and his "strategic decision" not to take on media issues; 67/18-68/25, on his decision not to confront the Murdoch media, http://www. levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-28- May-2012.pdf

• 24/18-25/10, on the responsibility of the political class for not dealing with the problem,

http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of- Afternoon-Hearing-28-May-2012.pdf

Rebekah Brooks:

• paras 81-82, on the effect of newspaper campaigning on the Domestic Violence, Crime

and Victims Bill 2005, and the campaign for resignations in the Baby P case; 84, that newspapers campaign for political resignations and that politicians talk to her about the newspaper's readers' perceptions of them, http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp- content/uploads/2012/05/Second-Witness-Statement-of-Rebekah-Brooks.pdf

• 103/4-103/14, that Dominic Mohan or Tom Newton Dunn would have talked to Number 10

or the Home Office when launching a campaign for a review of the McCann case; 105/22- 106/7, that she was part of a strategy to use the campaign to persuade the government to undertake a review of the McCann case; 106/19-106/21, that the campaign was launched

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