At the time of the Inquiry, Ashford was Editorial Director of Northern & Shell, then the parent company of the Daily and Sunday Express, OK! magazine and a variety of other periodicals. He was requested to explain the circumstances of that company's withdrawal from the PCC. He said that "hurtful" attacks from other PCC members made N&S reluctant to participate, fearing that the PCC would not have the group's best interests at heart. Ashford also gave evidence regarding the Daily Express's close following of the Madeleine McCann story and comments made by Sir Christopher Meyer, then Chairman of PCC, about Peter Hill, editor at that time.
British journalist and former editor of The Independent newspaper. After studying law, Blackhurst also worked for The Sunday Times, Daily Express and Evening Standard. Gave detailed responses to the proposals of Lord Black on behalf of The Independent group.
Media Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain until 2010. Gave evidence at the Inquiry on behalf of ENGAGE, a Muslim advocacy organisation aiming to encourage greater civic participation among British Muslims. Has written for The Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Express, Observer and Sun, focusing on Islam and current affairs, and been co-presenter of the weekly Politics and Media Show on the Islam Channel.
Born 1957. Journalist and author and former press secretary to Tony Blair as Leader of the Opposition (1994-97) and as Prime minister (1997-2000). From 2000-2003, he was director of communications for the Labour Party (2000-03). Before 1994, he had been political editor of Today newspaper and the Daily Mirror. Campbell gave detailed testimony on the political media and what he saw as the decline of genuine investigative journalism and the increasing tendency of owners, editors and senior journalists to wish to be political players. Embellishment and pure invention were tolerated and encouraged by some editors and owners, he said.
At the time of giving evidence, Desmond was the owner of Express Newspapers and founder of Northern & Shell, which also published celebrity magazines such as OK! and New!. Desmond gave examples of how the group dealt with moral and ethical questions. He cited his decision not to run a false story about the parentage of a member of the Royal family. Desmond told the Inquiry he was not familiar with the Editors' Code of Practice and considered it something as a proprietor he did not need to know about. All editorial decisions were left to the Express's editors, he said, including the paper's decision to stop backing Tony Blair and return to backing the Conservative Party.
British journalist. Staff news reporter for the Daily Mail since 2010, having previously worked for the Camden New Journal, The Sun and the Daily Express. Answered questions from Leveson on six stories that Fagge had written for the Daily Express concerning the search for Madeleine McCann. He had done four "shifts" of two weeks each in Portugal, he said. He described his work and interviewing and also the process of subsequent editing. "The Madeleine story was on the front page of the Daily Express more than any other newspaper, because [the editor] decided it would sell newspapers. It became an obsession of his," said Fagge.
Conservative MP for Surrey Heath and Education Secretary at the time of the Inquiry. A former journalist at the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the Times, the BBC and the Spectator. Told the Inquiry that sometimes "individuals reach for regulation in order to deal with failures of character or morality, and sometimes that regulation is right and appropriate but some of us believe that before the case for regulation is made, the case for liberty needs to be asserted as well".
English media executive and former newspaper editor. Editor of The Sun from 1981 to 1994, by then established as the British newspaper with the largest circulation in the UK. Answered questions on The Sun's use of private investigators ("never used them") and on paying public officials for information. He was in favour of public officials whistle-blowing to The Sun, he said, even if The Sun had to pay money.
A consultant cardiologist from Leicestershire whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, his wife Kate and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
A Leicestershire doctor whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, her husband Gerry and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
Crime Reporter for the Daily Express and Chair of the Crime Reporters Association. Gave evidence at the Inquiry of the work of the CRA which aimed to foster good relations and trust between crime reporters and the police. Its value to reporters, said Twomey, was enabling off-the-record non-attributable briefings.
Editor of the Daily Express at the time of the Inquiry, having worked previously at The Sun, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday. He supported Express Newspapers' withdrawal from the PCC, in part because of what he perceived as failures by the PCC to intervene over Madeleine McCann stories published in his own newspaper. He would never break the law intentionally, he told the Inquiry.
Photographer and Daily Star picture editor at the time of the Inquiry. Has also worked with Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday, Daily Express, and OK! magazine. Subsequently worked on a freelance basis with Daily Mirror after founding independent media publishing company Hungrydog Media. Labrum gave his views on ethics of photographing celebrities and their children.
Editor and Writer. At the time of the Inquiry, Linklater was Editor of the Scottish edition of The Times. Gave statement to the Inquiry after an earlier witness suggested he had written an article under pressure from an editor or owner. He confirmed his authorship and made clear the work was his alone. He has been a regular contributor to The Times and is the author of several books including a biography of Jeremy Thorpe.
Daily newspaper in the UK, first published as a broadsheet in 1900. Acquired by Richard Desmond in 2000. Hugh Whittow was appointed editor in 2011. He told the Inquiry that “ethics play a big role in the Daily Express” and all journalists adhered to the Editors Code of Practice. He admitted to some misleading statistics about the EU and a fabricated story about the banning of salt.
British publishing group founded in 1974 and owned by Richard Desmond. At the time of the Inquiry, it published the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday newspapers, and the magazines OK!, New! and Star.
