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Government Confirms No Leveson 2 Inquiry Into the Press – After ‘Monumental’ Admission of Wrongdoing By News UK in Prince Harry Case

Murdoch’s newspaper group apologises for 15 years of privacy breaches in landmark settlement – but the Prime Minister’s office quickly dismisses calls for a fresh investigation

Prince Harry at the Royal Courts of Justice after giving evidence in the Mirror Group phone-hacking trial in June 2023. Photo: SOPA/Alamy

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The Government has said it will not launch a fresh inquiry into wrongdoing by the press – despite an admission from the publishers of The Sun that private investigators working for the newspaper “undertook illegal activity” between 1996 and 2011 while probing Prince Harry’s private life. 

At the thirteenth hour, the landmark trial of The Sun owner, News Group Newspapers, has been settled through an agreement with Labour peer Lord Tom Watson and the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry

The settlement avoids an explosive trial over allegations of phone-hacking, illegal activity, and a cover-up at The Sun and the now shuttered News of the World.

But, as part of the agreement, and after years of denials, The Sun has – for the first time – admitted that investigators working for it were engaged in unlawful activity.

In a joint statement on what it described as the “monumental victory”, Prince Harry and Lord Watson called for a new police and parliamentary investigation following the admission. 

“The rule of law must now run its full course,” it stated. “Prince Harry and Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover ups along the way.”

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“It’s clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until today’s final collapse of NGN’s defence,” it added. “Today, the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived.”

However, when asked by Byline Times about the new admission from News UK following the settlement, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman appeared to reject the Prince Harry and Lord Watson’s call for a new inquiry into press illegality.

“Obviously, there’s a settlement which I can’t comment on,” the spokesman said in a lobby briefing. “More broadly, newspapers play a vital role in a functioning democracy. Clearly, they must operate within the bounds of the law and certain codes. You’ve got the Government’s plans as set out in the manifesto [on] not going ahead with a new inquiry.” 

The first part of the Leveson inquiry, which started in 2011 following the exposure of the phone-hacking scandal by the Guardian, revealed widespread illegality by parts of the press, and triggered a wave of criminal investigations and civil cases – many of which were settled with large pay-outs.

News UK had always maintained that illegality was confined to the bestselling News of the World, which was closed by Rupert Murdoch in 2011 as the phone-hacking crisis spiralled out of control. 

The second part of the inquiry – ‘Leveson 2’ – was planned as an investigation into the relationship between journalists and the police. But it has never taken place, with successive Governments seemingly relenting to press demands that it be mothballed. 

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Labour has been relatively silent on the issue of media reform and the question of whether the second part of the Leveson inquiry will go ahead. 

But, last July, Keir Starmer rebuffed calls for a fresh inquiry into the press. When asked, he said it was not a priority: “We set out in our manifesto our programme for action for this Government. We’ve laid that out in the King’s Speech. That clearly sets out our priorities and the second half of Leveson is not among them.

“I’ve been clear that one of the purposes of a mission-driven government is to be clear about what we can achieve – the time-frame, the purpose we need to put to it – but also that it dictates our priorities in Government.”

Speaking from court, media reform campaigner and Hacked Off board director Emma Jones said: “It is a humiliating day for The Sun and the senior executives at News Group Newspapers, who have finally admitted that allegations of illegality made against the publisher are true.  News Group has now spent over a billion pounds – funds which could have been put to much better use supporting journalism – fighting allegations which they have now largely admitted were accurate.

The Sun has spent years denigrating the individuals and campaigners – including Hacked Off [the press reform campaigning group set up after the exposure of the phone-hacking scandal] – who have alleged illegal activity at the newspaper and forced 1,300 people through legal action to uphold their rights.

“Today, The Sun’s targets have been vindicated. It is now clear that the public and Parliament were lied to by the newspaper and its publisher, as part of the most extraordinary corporate cover up in living memory.

The Sun’s claims of innocence formed part of the broader press campaign against independent regulation and Leveson Part 2.  Now we have confirmation – from the publisher itself – that this was fabrication, the Prime Minister must get on with robust policy on press accountability without further delay.”

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Asked whether the Metropolitan Police would now mount a fresh investigation into NGN – now called News UK – a spokesperson said “it remains the case that there are no active police investigations into allegations of phone-hacking or related matters” and that “we await any correspondence from the parties involved, which we will respond to in due course”. 

In a statement, News UK said: “In the 1990s and early 2000s there was widespread use by the broadcast and news media of private investigators. In most cases, their use was for public interest journalism and to obtain information necessary for the purposes of journalism.

“Today, our apology to the Duke of Sussex includes an apology for incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by journalists, during the period 1996-2011.

“There are strong controls and processes in place at all our titles today to ensure this cannot happen now. There was no voicemail interception on The Sun

“After more than a decade of litigation, and 14 years since the News of the World closed down, today’s settlement draws a line under the past and brings an end to this litigation. Indeed the Judge made it clear in remarks in court at the end of the hearing that these cases are likely to be the last liable to go to trial. Any cases now brought, years after the events, will be liable to be struck out.”

The spokesperson added: “The Sun today can face the future and continue its proud record of award-winning public interest journalism, investigations and campaigning on behalf of its readers.”

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News Group Newspapers’ Apology to Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson In Full:

NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun.

NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. 

We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGN’s response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable.

NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009- 2011. This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. NGN also acknowledges and apologises for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson’s family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages.

“In addition, in 2011 News International received information that information was being passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International. We now understand that this information was false, and Lord Watson was not in receipt of any such confidential information. NGN apologises fully and unequivocally for this.

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