Peter Brooke served in the Cabinet under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and was the Member of Parliament representing the Cities of London and Westminster from 1977 to 2001. Gave evidence on his period as Heritage Secretary (1992-1995) during which time the Calcutt Committee recommendations on self-regulation of the press and Clive Soley's bill on press ownership were being discussed.
David Hunt, Conservative politician and former member of Cabinet during the Margaret Thatcher and John Major administrations, was appointed chairman of Press Complaints Commission as the Leveson Inquiry was getting underway (replacing Baroness Buscombe). He said he hoped to lead "wholesale regeneration and renewal of the system of independent self-regulation of the press".
British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for South West Surrey since 2005. At the time of the Inquiry, Hunt was Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (2010-2012). He was questioned extensively on phone calls and discussions surrounding News Corporation's attempted takeover of BSkyB.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, following stints as Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Thatcher Government. Had retired from politics at time of giving evidence, having been MP for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. He told the Inquiry that in a private meeting before the 1997 general election, Rupert Murdoch had pressed for the Conservative Government to alter policy regarding the EU or risk losing the support of his papers. In the event, The Sun did back Labour in the 1997 election. While characterising the UK press as a whole as a "curate's egg", Major told the Inquiry he believed The Sun had "lowered the tone" of public life. He believed newspaper proprietors should be "personally liable" for articles in their newspapers, not able to "wash their hands" of alleged wrongdoing by individual reporters.
