Striking a blow for freedom of the Press
By Daily Mail Comment - Last updated at 9:09 PM on 10th February 2012
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-2099559/Peter-Mandelson-Nat-Rothschild-The-Mail-strikes-blow-freedom-Press.html
Two years ago, this newspaper unearthed worrying
details of how Nat Rothschild had, in 2005,
arranged for then EU Trade Commissioner Peter
Mandelson to spend a lavish weekend in the
company of the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
At the time, Mr Deripaska – a metals tycoon,
whose business interests are intertwined with
those of the billionaire financier Mr Rothschild
– was waiting to discover if the EU was going to
raise or (as turned out to be the case) lower
trade tariffs on aluminium imports.
Clearly, it’s a matter of great public interest
that Mr Rothschild should have placed Lord
Mandelson in the orbit of a man who stood to gain
or lose significantly from EU decisions.
Libel action: Nathaniel Rothschild, left, brought
the case against the Daily Mail over an article
about a meeting he arranged between Lord
Mandelson, right and Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska
At the very least, it raised legitimate questions
over whether Lord Mandelson – who enjoyed Mr
Deripaska’s ‘luxurious and generous’ hospitality,
including a flight on his private jet - was
adhering to the strict rules of impartiality
required of a holder of high public office.
Mr Rothschild’s response was to seek ‘very
substantial’ libel damages from the Mail for
reporting his role in arranging the meeting,
claiming that he had been portrayed as a ‘puppet master’.
Yesterday, at the High Court, Mr Justice
Tugendhat found in favour of this newspaper,
saying Mr Rothschild had not been ‘entirely candid’ in his evidence.
Crucially, the judge ruled his conduct had
‘foreseeably brought Lord Mandelson’s public
office and personal integrity into disrepute and
exposed him to accusations of conflict of
interest and gave rise to reasonable grounds to
suspect Lord Mandelson of improper discussions with Mr Deripaska’.
While we are delighted that our journalism – and
the risks we took in defending it – have been
vindicated, it should be noted that, had the Mail
lost, we could have incurred costs of more than
£1million, which are beyond the means of most newspapers.
The case should serve as a reminder, at a time
when newspapers are under attack, facing
accusations of invading privacy, that the rich
and powerful regularly use the law to prevent
legitimate scrutiny of their activities.
We can only hope that – as Lord Justice Leveson’s
inquiry considers the balance between privacy and
freedom of expression – the chilling effect on
free speech that court cases like this exert, and
the risks which journalists take in pursuit of the truth, are borne in mind.
The freedom of the Press to carry out
investigations, expose wrongdoing and campaign
for justice, as the Mail did so passionately over
Stephen Lawrence, is an essential part of our democracy.
We forgo it at our peril.
Valuing Christianity
It was a dark day for anybody worried by the way
Christianity – the dominant faith of this country
for almost 2,000 years – is being increasingly
pushed to the margins of British society.
In two judgments, the courts ruled it was
unlawful for a devout Christian couple to refuse
two gay men the right to share a double room in their own B&B.
Then, disturbingly, the High Court banned the
saying of prayers at the start of council
meetings – siding with an atheist ex-councillor
who claimed to be ‘embarrassed’ by the tradition,
despite not being obliged to take part.
The most worrying aspect is how, once again, the
courts consider the rights of Christians to be
less important than those of every other section of society.
Yet, as Lord Carey writes on these pages,
Christianity has helped to shape virtually every
facet of British life – from morality and literature to education and art.
It’s high time our current church leaders and
politicians showed the spine to defend it.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-2099559/Peter-Mandelson-Nat-Rothschild-The-Mail-strikes-blow-freedom-Press.html
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"The maintenance of secrets acts like a psychic
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Fear not therefore: for there is nothing covered
that shall not be revealed; and nothing hid that
shall not be made known. What I tell you in
darkness, that speak ye in the light and what ye
hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. Matthew 10:26-27
Die Pride and Envie; Flesh, take the poor's advice.
Covetousnesse be gon: Come, Truth and Love arise.
Patience take the Crown; throw Anger out of dores:
Cast out Hypocrisie and Lust, which follows whores:
Then England sit in rest; Thy sorrows will have end;
Thy Sons will live in peace, and each will be a friend.
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Please consider seriously the reason why these elite institutions are not discussed in the mainstream press despite the immense financial and political power they wield?
There are sick and evil occultists running the Western World. They are power mad lunatics like something from a kids cartoon with their fingers on the nuclear button! Armageddon is closer than you thought. Only God can save our souls from their clutches, at least that's my considered opinion - Tony
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