Prime Minister of UK and Leader of Labour Party 2007 - 2010, prior to which he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in Blair Government from 1997 - 2007. Brown was a Member of Parliament from 1983 - 2015, first for Dunfermline East and later for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Stood down as MP in 2015. Brown criticised the Sun for use of unauthorised information about his son's medical details and accused Rupert Murdoch of lying on oath. He criticised James Murdoch of "breathtaking arrogance" and claimed that the Conservative Party adopted all the policies put forward by the Murdoch company.
British solicitor and Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament since 1982, first for Peckham, and then for successor constituency of Camberwell and Peckham from 1997. Harman was Shadow Deputy Leader at the time of the Inquiry. She had served in various Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet positions and, in her role as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party served twice as Acting Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. Her evidence covered consideration of regulation and the need for the Inquiry to address media ownership.
British Labour Party politician, born 1960, who served as Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010. Other cabinet positions in the Blair and Brown governments include Health Secretary and Education Secretary. He served as MP for Hull West and Hessle from 1997 to 2017. Answered questions at the Inquiry on phone-hacking allegations against the News of the World and on police action cases against royal correspondent Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Peter Mandelson was Labour MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004. Held a number of Cabinet positions under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and was European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008. He denied there had been a "Faustian pact" between Labour and Rupert Murdoch but was of the view that relations between both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown with News International were "closer than were wise".
A former Labour MP for Motherwell (1987-2010), John Reid held a number of Cabinet positions under Tony Blair including Health Secretary, Defence Secretary and Home Secretary. He retired from frontline politics in 2007 following Gordon Brown's appointment as Prime Minister. Gave evidence on the immediate aftermath of the arrests of Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman, for which, he said, he received briefing papers only the day after.
English politician and MP for Blackburn from 1979 to 2015. Served in Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001 and Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 under Blair. From 2007 to 2010 served as Lord Chancellor and as Secretary of State for Justice throughout Brown's Premiership. Gave extensive evidence on special advisers, political journalists and editors, as well as evidence on the ability of ordinary people to get justice and the relationship between senior police and senior journalists.
British Labour Party MP for Watford 1997-2010 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice from 2009 to 2010. Ward told Inquiry that within weeks of becoming an MP she was subject to intense media intrusion and threats, including from the News of the World, purporting to have compromising photographs of her.
