02-01-2011, 01:13 PM
Unfortunately, Vince Cable's out of control mouth and ego means that he no longer controls this decision.
I'm only surprized that it was Telegraph "undercover" journalists posing as constituents who taped Cable bragging feverishly, rather than Murdoch hacks. Perhaps Vince would have spotted a fake sheikh at his constituency surgery.
That said, it is now clear that "undercover" journalists are increasingly being used not to investigate governmental and business crime, but to obtain blackmail material to be used as leverage by newspaper tycoons against politicians.
See here:
http://deeppoliticsforum.com/forums/show...pens/page2
I'm only surprized that it was Telegraph "undercover" journalists posing as constituents who taped Cable bragging feverishly, rather than Murdoch hacks. Perhaps Vince would have spotted a fake sheikh at his constituency surgery.
That said, it is now clear that "undercover" journalists are increasingly being used not to investigate governmental and business crime, but to obtain blackmail material to be used as leverage by newspaper tycoons against politicians.
See here:
Quote:In an exclusive interview, former Plaid Cymru MP, and a member of the committee, Adam Price says he was warned by a senior Conservative committee member that if the committee pursued this plan, the tabloids might punish him by looking into his personal life.
"We could have used the nuclear option. We decided not to, 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 - 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. In retrospect I think that's regrettable," price said.
"It's important now that the new inquiry stands firm where we didn't. Politicians aren't above the law but neither are journalists including Rupert Murdoch's bovver boys with biros."
Another MP on the committee makes similar claims, who also sat on the committee, talked of being intimidated.
He told Channel 4 News: "A former Labour cabinet minister has confirmed to me this week that News International talked to my former colleagues in No. 10 Downing St to ask them whether I would withdraw my aggressive line of questioning and their lawyer tried to have me removed from the committee on the grounds that I was suing them for libel and may have a potential interest so yes they did try and stop me conducting my enquiries.
"I felt it was undue influence, yes. I felt very frightened and intimidated."
http://deeppoliticsforum.com/forums/show...pens/page2
"It means this War was never political at all, the politics was all theatre, all just to keep the people distracted...."
"Proverbs for Paranoids 4: You hide, They seek."
"They are in Love. Fuck the War."
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
"Ccollanan Pachacamac ricuy auccacunac yahuarniy hichascancuta."
The last words of the last Inka, Tupac Amaru, led to the gallows by men of god & dogs of war
"Proverbs for Paranoids 4: You hide, They seek."
"They are in Love. Fuck the War."
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
"Ccollanan Pachacamac ricuy auccacunac yahuarniy hichascancuta."
The last words of the last Inka, Tupac Amaru, led to the gallows by men of god & dogs of war