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Phone hacking: ‘Rebekah Brooks & Cameron knew’
Hugh Grant secretly tapes damning allegations from former News of the World journalist
Actor Hugh Grant, an alleged victim of illegal phone-hacking by the News of the World, has turned the tables on his tabloid tormentors after secretly recording a former NoW reporter claiming that former editor Rebekah Brooks knew all about the practice.
The actor makes the allegations in an article in this week's New Statesman, which is guest-edited by his former partner, Jemima Khan.
In his column, Grant says he first met former NoW hack Paul McMullan - who now runs a pub in Dover - when he broke down in Kent last Christmas. McMullan, who blew the whistle on phone hacking at the News of the World, pulled over and took some photos of the stranded actor before offering him a lift.
During the journey, McMullan talked about phone hacking and confirmed to Grant that he had been a victim. He also asked Grant to drop in on his pub - an invitation the actor decided to accept after being commissioned by Khan.
However, this time he would go prepared - with a hidden microphone.
In the transcript, which is available in full in the print version of the New Statesman, McMullan says Brooks, who was editor of the News of the World between 2000 and 2003 and is now CEO of NoW publisher News International, "absolutely" knew about phone hacking at the paper. McMullan goes even further, claiming that prime minister David Cameron - who he says goes horse riding with Brooks - probably knew as well.
"Not only did she know, but Cameron must have known - that's the bigger scandal," says McMullan. "He had to jump into bed with Murdoch as everyone had, starting with Thatcher in the 1970s."
McMullan also fingers the police, who have been criticised for dragging their feet over the phone hacking investigation, saying that "20 per cent of the [Metropolitan police] has taken backhanders from tabloid hacks".
As for whether Brooks's boss Rupert Murdoch knew about phone hacking, McMullan thinks not. "He's a funny bloke given that he owns the Sun and the Screws [the nickname for the NoW]... quite puritanical," he says.
Grant's spectacular scoop looks likely to give new urgency to attempts in the House of Lords to derail Murdoch's attempt to buy the 61 per cent of BSkyB he doesn't already own. As the Mole reports in The First Post today, Lord Prescott said: "It would be totally unacceptable for a company... committing criminal acts to take total control of BSkyB." ·
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RUPERT MURDOCH, DAVID CAMERON, SKY B, NEWS INTL, THE WHOLE LOT MUST COME DOWN. THEY HAD THEIR LUCK AT XMAS WITH THE CABLE BUT NOW THE ROOSTER IS COMING !!
Just shows this was only ever about politics. Celebs and brain dead socialists who can't get round to changing their default voice mail password from 0000 don't deserve any sympathy. You have to ask why left wing hacks keep writing about this - oh yes the chance to smear and attack a Conservative. And in this are they any better than a red top journalist ?
It is true what is said of the american people... They always stick their noses where they should'nt. On many occasions we note that they have no clue to what they are saying, but love to comment nevertheless. An example of one poster Gandalff White!! Let me clarify one important point.. "what the sh*t do you know of Britain and its political structure!! so you can comment about our police force, PMs and news media. Keep to your bunch in the states, and we handle ours thank you.
I am not much concerned by the tricks employed by journalists to gain "information", much of it mere gossip, but the shadow this affair casts over the police is more serious. John Prescott has so far been the one person to question why the police followed up these allegations only when the phones of members of the Royal Household were hacked. It may be thought therefore that the other victims were merely 'fair game' in the police's eyes. Technology might blind one to an existing fact. For years past statements made to the police end up on the front pages of certain newspapers. Reading â?? with some mirth â?? the opinions of U.S. readers above makes me wonder if Charlie Sheen is not a virus.
Look at the blind hated driven ideology infecting the people who've commented here in defense of the Murdoch empire. Are they real? Are they paid flunkies who've sold their souls to defend the indefensible? Are they unloved? Lonely? Pathetic? Who knows. All that matters is the fact they are wrong, wrong, wrong.
Really? Does know one in the UK know how to think for themselves or is this just an article for a good laugh.... this whole thing is a set up from the first meeting to the when Hugh broke down back during Christmas to work details out.
Think about it? How does one person start a conversation about something that is such a HOT TOPIC then implicate ALL the bosses, Prime Ministers & Media Moguls dating back to Thatcher? That's what sent up every flare, flag & S.O.S that this was a hit job that was not well written.
I am sure Grant cringed at his over the top one party only hit dating back to the middle ages line. If you read it again you will see this is all really about Rupert Murdoch which Mr. McMullan at first said probably didn't know a thing about the whole scandal... then I am sure with a look was prompted to recant & push the other direction just by the sounds of it. Just saying its all to nice and tidy for 1 innocent Bar owners quick conversation with a Celebrity just stopping by for a cold beer.
Why say everyone is involved with Murdoch then say he most likely didn't know a thing about it unless this was a set up & he went off script?
Wow! You chaps at The First Post must be doing a damn fine job! Those delusional right-wing American loonies are on your case! Why, if we could hook their rotating eyeballs up to a generator we could solve the world's energy problems! Neither of the above posts seem to have much relevance to the article, which they use only as an an excuse to indulge in that favourite American pastime of insulting non-Americans. Good show, TFP! Keep up the good work!
Sounds like, to me, that the "Gorilla Warfare" that G.Soros threatened through his Media Matters in the U.S. has begun! Hugh Grant is just ANOTHER LIBERAL who is trying to cause problems for anyone who isn't part of the British Labor. Here in the U.S., Soros' & friends managed to cause MY FAVORITE MAN-GLENN BECK to be removed from FOXNEWS. Here in Texas...We aren't HAPPY! Mr. Soros & his minions need to leave the entire WORLD ALONE! He should really be consentrating on HOW HE CAN TAKE ALL HIS DOUGH WITH HIM ONCE HE'S GONE FROM THIS WORLD!
It must be true. If you can't trust a known hacker turned bar keep who can you trust. Besides, criminals (hacking is actually a crime) always get trapped into saying things by movie stars. This is totally believable.
Sort of fits in with your other believable articles like global warming.
Do people in England really believe this stuff? I mean for years more and more of them have become spoon fed by the welfare state so they should be mostly docile by now. Well, except when those 30 year old students take to the streets to protest someone cutting off the free ride or the union riot because someone wants to require productivity requirements for a pay check.