We’ve discussed before my preferred policy of tackling criticism head-on, and also, as a policy, publishing all threats I receive.
Former novelist and British MP Louise Mensch (pic: Channel 4)
Yesterday British MP Louise Mensch, a protagonist in the ‘hackgate’ scandal admitted she exaggerated Piers Morgan’s ‘admissions/boasting’ of phone hacking in his Daily Mirror days, and publicly apologised. (Although in typical politician fashion, still tries to slip a few mealy-mouthed jabs in to salve the ego.)
In my questions to Rupert and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks, I wrongly stated that Piers Morgan, formerly editor of the Daily Mirror, had been open about personally hacking phones in a book he wrote. This was based on my misreading of an article in the Daily Telegraph published on the 13th July, which covered Mr. Morgan’s description in his book of how to hack a phone and how he won the Scoop of the Year on the story of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Ulrika Johnson. The Telegraph report covers the claim of a blogger that this story was acquired by phone hacking, and I misread that as Mr. Morgan himself claiming this to be true.
Therefore, I must apologise to Mr. Morgan and the Committee for this error about his book. I would have done much better to stick to quoting the figures for the Daily Mirror …
That teeth-grinding apology was necessary (she could have faced censure for misleading the committee) and was ‘accepted graciously’ by Morgan via Twitter.
Points to both parties, although Mensch’s error is, let’s face it, regrettable and credibility-degrading. It was, frankly, piss-poor behaviour for an MP to fire off shots like that, from the safety of Parliamentary privilege, without concrete evidence, then to resist his calls for retraction and correction for so long. Bad form.
However, my respect for her grew somewhat when I read her response to what looks like a ham-fisted attempt to intimidate her.
Mensch issued a press release containing what appears to be smear threats in correspondence from ‘David Jones Investigative Journalists’ in full and anwering with the flair I would expect from a novelist, nicely framing it in terms of plucky and persecuted truth-seeker.
Most importantly, I have not the slightest intention of being deterred from asking how far the culture of hacking and blagging extended in Fleet Street.
By her actions, she also deprived ‘David Jones Investigative Journalists’ (a pseudonym) of any scoop and spiked a dripfeed campaign against her.
On 19 July, as part of the CMS Select Committee, I questioned Rupert and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks on phone hacking at the News of the World.
I also focussed questions on whether hacking and blagging was, in fact, widespread throughout Fleet Street.On 22 July I received the following email, which I reprint here in full and respond to below:
Dear Mrs Mensch
We are informing you that we have come into possession of the following information, about yourself, and would like to ask you for any comments, before we publish this information.
… Read her reply at politicshome.com.
Nice work. In the context of allegations/revelations about not-just-Murdoch media intimidating politicians into compliance, it’s interesting to see these tactics exposed in this way.
Phony ‘David Jones’ is maintaining his/her anonymity at this stage and issued a mealy-mouthed non-answer.
There’s more to come, I’m sure.
NZ's own good-looking right wing vixen Cathy Odgers Cactus Kate (pic: NBR)
Beauty and the Beast Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Violinist Nigel Kennedy’s line about Louise Mensch (quoted in The Telegraph) reminded me of the US’s accomplished right wing battle maiden Ann Coulter and our own wannabe ACT MP, Cathy Odgers/Cactus Kate:
“I am a socialist myself but do remember having some great times with my beautiful and very clever Right-wing friend when she was at EMI. Louise is pretty scary and I would warn anyone that it’s not a good idea to mess with her.”
Hmpf. Not a bad reputation to have, though, eh?
– P
I do not consider Louise Mensch as a politician, she is, just like majority of MPs in UK looking for a couple of lines to make her CV interesting.
She is now advocating closing social networking sites in so called ‘moments of crisis’ (in true spirit of a dictatorship and in line with Tory policies).
People like Mensch shouldn’t be put in positions of power where they could actually express their half baked ideas and plans (which in my view are completely against humanity) with some degree of authority.
She however is a fit component of reality TVs such as ‘get me out of here’ and Big Brother.
Thanks for sharing your view of Louise Mensch and her qualifications or otherwise to serve in the ‘House of Representatives’ (geddit?)
Personally, I’ve observed some pretty shallow, venal, even hateful (IMO) Members of Parliament. She’ll probably fit right in, as you say … and perhaps even lift standards?
At least she apologized – though, as noted, grudgingly, and to the committee which she MISLED when she misquoted/mis-cited Piers Morgan. The apology she squeezed out through her clenched jaw to Morgan was a by-product, as I see it. – P
I do agree with you, the problem that she had with Piers Morgan is nothing if not funny and an amusing version of a (if you pardon the expression) bitch-slapping. My problem with these opportunistic so called MPs begin when they aim at our liberties, to destroy what many people gave their lives through 2 world wars and several other conflicts to preserve.
These people start their offensives against our civil liberties with small steps and then before we know it they grow a proverbial mustache and become what Adolf would have had been proud of.
Likes of this person only serve to represent poisonous ideas and not people.
Hang, on, is she THAT poisonous? How is the Tory Ms Mensch attacking Civil liberties?
Are you referring to the idea of police power to shut down social media (‘Like a train station’ Ha!) during times of ‘disorder’? (Very reminiscent of the North African/Arab summer.) Is there anything else she’s promulgating … ?
We get the politicians we deserve, unfortunately. I wouldn’t do the job, and, sadly, that leaves it to those who would.
In my observation of Parliamentary politics, there’s a corroding influence — best summed up as ‘the socialisation of the elite’ which quickly convinces some democratically- elected officials to the idea they were born to rule. Sorry, nope. – P
Yes they believe they were born to rule and that throws away the idea of serving people to the oblivion. unfortunately at present we have an extremely weak opposition leader (well if you are not one of those who believe in the old doctrine that no matter whom we vote for, they all turn out to be the same).
and to answer your question yes, i was referring to that episode of Mensch’s buffoonery.
isn’t it sad that a little power makes monsters out of ordinary little people?
Never a truer word spoken.
Of course, they/we don’t see anything wrong with power when they/we have it, and they/we often feel that ‘the little people’ (voters, members, patients, students etc) don’t really understand the full situation … or the ‘burden’ of ruling… as they/we do.
Thus, the justifications: We’re doing this (a) for your own good, (b) because it’s the right thing, it’s policy, or (c) we owe it to our constituency or (d) because There Is No Alternative (TINA – an M. Thatcher favorite).
Still, it’s very easy for someone like me to throw stones at the likes of Ms Mensch. Harder to contribute and, even with a comprehensive and coherent political philosophy in hand (I wish), to shepherd change through what Leonard Cohen so eloquently described in his song Democracy …
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leonardcohen/democracy.html
– P
Actually on that point, i beg to differ as no one is more qualified to pass judgements on a politician than those whose lives are effected by them and unfortunately in these so called ‘Globalised’ times, every action of a power mad, greedy and ‘unaccountable’ politician effects us all.
I believe what gives them the encouragement to do as they please is that their accountability is only to history and that usually comes long after they become compost (finally they catch up with their ideas), there is no solid system to bring this people to justice for all the lives they wreck and all the souls they murder. unless of course they are located in a country with abundance of natural resources when of course our morality driven politicians rush to export their version of democracy and in return, place a claim on their natural resources for a very few who’d benefit from its pillage.
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