25/01/2025
NATIONAL PRESS TITLE IN DISGRACE AS LOCAL NEWS REMAINS A BEACON OF TRUST - đ° đď¸
Report by Duncan Williams for Poole Post - News Group
The controversy surrounding Prince Harryâs legal battle with News Group Newspapers (NGN) continues to deepen as calls grow for further investigations into alleged misconduct by the media giant.
This past week, the Duke of Sussex settled his case against NGN, publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, after the company admitted to unlawful activities, including a serious intrusion into his private life.
Despite this landmark settlement, campaigners supporting Harryâs fight for accountability believe this should only be the beginning of a wider reckoning for Rupert Murdoch's media company.
Campaigners, including prominent figures such as actor Hugh Grant and former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, are now compiling a dossier of evidence to present to the Metropolitan Police. They hope to prompt a fresh criminal investigation into allegations of perjury and cover-ups by NGN executives.
It has been reported that, if the police fail to act, individuals may pursue private criminal prosecutions to ensure that justice is served.
Emma Jones, from the press abuse campaign group Hacked Off, said she hopes such drastic measures will not be necessary. âThis surely is a matter for government and the police. If unlawful behaviour took place and the people did that, lied under oath, not just to the public but at the Leveson Inquiry and in a court case, what does that mean? The very worse that that means is that it is perjury, a criminal offence, we'd like the police to thoroughly investigate this.â
Hugh Grant, who himself settled a phone-hacking case against NGN, has joined those urging the police to act. He warned that the evidence against the company could potentially trigger a criminal inquiry.
Meanwhile, Chris Huhne, the former cabinet minister who also reached a settlement with NGN, wrote to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, criticising the forceâs past handling of the phone-hacking scandal. He stated, âThe Metropolitan Police have behaved appallingly. I would much prefer to see another police force deal with it because frankly, the Metropolitan Police have not covered themselves in glory in this whole thing.â
The campaignersâ efforts are bolstered by significant revelations. During pre-trial hearings, NGN admitted for the first time that unlawful activities were carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. This marked a significant departure from the companyâs previous denials of wrongdoing at the paper.
Despite this admission, NGN continues to deny allegations of phone hacking and insists its journalists were not involved in criminality.
Lord Watson, who joined Prince Harry in the legal action, announced plans to submit the dossier of evidence to the Metropolitan Police. The file, which may take weeks to complete, reportedly includes material that was previously unavailable to investigators.
On Wednesday, the Met confirmed it was aware of the settlement and had requested transcripts from the pre-trial hearings. However, a spokesperson stated there were âno active investigationsâ into phone hacking or related matters.
The fallout from the phone-hacking scandal has significantly tarnished the reputation of NGN and raised questions about the ethical standards of the wider national press. Allegations of perjury, email deletions, and the destruction of evidence have prompted calls for greater accountability and transparency within the UKâs media industry.
The Duke of Sussexâs perseverance in pursuing his legal claim has reignited discussions about press standards and the need for robust oversight of powerful media corporations.
While the reputation of the national press has been damaged by these scandals, local and regional journalism continues to hold an untarnished place in British mainstream media.
Unlike their national counterparts, local independent news publishers have maintained a reputation for accuracy, reliability, and integrity. These outlets play a crucial role in underpinning local democracy, holding power to account, and serving their communities with trustworthy reporting.