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Leveson Inquiry: Gordon Brown gives evidence of row with Sun Leveson Inquiry: Gordon Brown given apology by NHS Fife
(about 2 hours later)
Ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown says lessons cannot be learned about press standards unless there is honesty about how details of his son's cystic fibrosis were published by the Sun. Ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown says NHS chiefs apologised to him because they think it "highly likely" unauthorised information was disclosed by staff about his son's cystic fibrosis.
He said he and his wife Sarah were "presented with a fait accompli" by the paper, before it ran a story on their son Fraser's medical condition in 2006. The Sun ran a story in 2006 about Fraser Brown's medical condition, but denied accessing his medical records without Mr Brown's knowledge.
He denied that he or his wife had given permission for the story to be run. Mr Brown told the Leveson Inquiry he did not grant permission for the story.
The Sun said it was standing by its previous statements about the story. Instead, he said, the Sun presented him and wife Sarah with "a fait accompli".
Mr Brown is giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. The Leveson Inquiry is currently focusing on the relationship between the press and politicians.
Chancellor George Osborne is now giving evidence and Prime Minister David Cameron will enter the witness box on Thursday. Mr Brown also said he did not instruct his aides to use the media to brief against ministers, in particular to attempt to force Tony Blair's resignation towards the end of his time in office.
The inquiry is currently focusing on the relationship between the press and politicians. There is "no evidence" that his aides ever briefed against Mr Blair, Mr Brown said, and he also denied instructing his aide Charlie Whelan to brief the media against the then-Chancellor Alistair Darling.
The Sun's then-editor Rebekah Brooks had previously told the Leveson Inquiry she had the express permission of the Browns to run the story about Fraser's medical condition, but the Browns have previously said that was "untrue". "Nobody in my position would have instructed any briefing against a senior minister and Alistair Darling was a friend of mine as well as a colleague," he said.
Mr Brown told the inquiry the NHS in Fife had apologised to him because they think it "highly likely" unauthorised information was disclosed by NHS staff about Fraser Brown. Aside from the coverage of his son, Mr Brown also criticised further examples of Sun journalism during his time in office, including a claim he fell asleep at a memorial service when, he explained, he had actually bowed his head to pray.
He again denied consent had been given to the Sun to publish the story. He went on to say media in Britain, at its best, is the "best in the world" but said one of the problems of the press is the conflation of fact and opinion.
"I find it sad that even now, in 2012, members of the News International staff are coming to this inquiry and maintaining this fiction that a story that could only have been achieved or obtained through medical information or through me or my wife... was obtained in another way. He also said that he and his wife Sarah had been determined that they did not want their children to "grow up as minor celebrities" and that he had asked newspaper editors to agree that their children would not be the subject of coverage while they were at nursery school and primary school.
"We can't learn the lesson about what has happened with the media anything unless there is some honesty about what actually happened, whether payment was made and whether this is a practice which could continue." href="http://www.nhsfife.org/nhs/index.cfm?fuseaction=nhs.newsdisplay&objectid=DB1CF21B-A501-17F0-3E74EEA52FCDA2C2" >Responding to Mr Brown's evidence about his son's records at NHS Fife, its chief executive John Wilson said: "We now accept that it is highly likely that, sometime in 2006, a member of staff in NHS Fife spoke, without authorisation, about the medical condition of Mr Brown's son, Fraser.
He said through the Press Complaints Commission he had attempted to get newspaper editors to agree on limits of coverage about his children.
"We didn't want our children to grow up thinking somehow they were minor celebrities. We wanted our children to grow up as ordinary young kids."
When asked why his wife had remained friends with Mrs Brooks, he said: "Sarah is one of the most forgiving people I know. We had to get on with the job of doing what is expected."
'Dishonouring troops'
Responding to Mr Brown's evidence about NHS Fife, its chief executive John Wilson said: "We now accept that it is highly likely that, sometime in 2006, a member of staff in NHS Fife spoke, without authorisation, about the medical condition of Mr Brown's son, Fraser.
"With the passage of time it has not been possible to identify all the circumstances.""With the passage of time it has not been possible to identify all the circumstances."
He said the trust did not think the child's medical records had been inappropriately accessed but were clear that "conversations about patients" were as much a breach of confidentiality.He said the trust did not think the child's medical records had been inappropriately accessed but were clear that "conversations about patients" were as much a breach of confidentiality.
And following NHS Fife's statement, News International spokeswoman said: "We welcome the fact that NHS Fife have today said that they believe there was 'no inappropriate access' to the medical records of Gordon Brown's son.And following NHS Fife's statement, News International spokeswoman said: "We welcome the fact that NHS Fife have today said that they believe there was 'no inappropriate access' to the medical records of Gordon Brown's son.
"The Sun stands by previous statements issued on the matter.""The Sun stands by previous statements issued on the matter."
The newspaper has previously strongly denied accessing Mr Brown's family medical records without his knowledge, saying the information had come from a member of the public whose own child also had cystic fibrosis.The newspaper has previously strongly denied accessing Mr Brown's family medical records without his knowledge, saying the information had come from a member of the public whose own child also had cystic fibrosis.
Rebekah Brooks told the Leveson Inquiry during her appearance in May that she had the express permission of the Browns to run the story about Fraser.Rebekah Brooks told the Leveson Inquiry during her appearance in May that she had the express permission of the Browns to run the story about Fraser.
Mr Brown also criticised other examples of Sun journalism during his time in office, including a claim he fell asleep at a memorial service when, he explained, he had actually bowed his head to pray.
"The Sun decides this is an example of someone falling asleep and dishonouring the troops," he said. Mr Brown went on to say: "I find it sad that even now, in 2012, members of the News International staff are coming to this inquiry and maintaining this fiction that a story that could only have been achieved or obtained through medical information or through me or my wife... was obtained in another way.
He went on to say media in Britain, at its best, is the "best in the world" but said one of the problems of the press is the conflation of fact and opinion - mirroring the views stated by his predecessor Tony Blair when he appeared at the Leveson Inquiry two weeks ago. "We can't learn the lesson about what has happened with the media anything unless there is some honesty about what actually happened, whether payment was made and whether this is a practice which could continue."
When asked why his wife had remained friends with Mrs Brooks following the incident, he said: "Sarah is one of the most forgiving people I know. We had to get on with the job of doing what is expected."
'Unbalanced''Unbalanced'
The News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch told the inquiry in April Mr Brown had phoned him in an "unbalanced" state of mind and threatened war on his media empire after the Sun newspaper had switched its support from Labour to the Conservatives in 2009. The News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch told the inquiry in April that Mr Brown had phoned him in an "unbalanced" state of mind and threatened war on his media empire after the Sun had switched its support from Labour to the Conservatives in 2009.
The former PM later denied having made such a threat and repeated this denial to the inquiry counsel, Robert Jay QC.The former PM later denied having made such a threat and repeated this denial to the inquiry counsel, Robert Jay QC.
"This call did not happen, this threat was not made. I couldn't be unbalanced on a call that I didn't have... and I find it shocking that we should get to this situation some time later when there is no evidence of this call happening at the time that he says it happened and you to be told under oath that this was the case.""This call did not happen, this threat was not made. I couldn't be unbalanced on a call that I didn't have... and I find it shocking that we should get to this situation some time later when there is no evidence of this call happening at the time that he says it happened and you to be told under oath that this was the case."
Mr Murdoch has since issued a statement saying he "stands behind his testimony to the Leveson Inquiry".
Mr Brown also said that none of these dealings with Mr Murdoch were about politics. "I would rather have been an honest one-term prime minister than a dishonest two-term prime minister," he said.Mr Brown also said that none of these dealings with Mr Murdoch were about politics. "I would rather have been an honest one-term prime minister than a dishonest two-term prime minister," he said.
Mr Brown also told the the inquiry:
  • While he was in government, he was the victim of a number of "phishing" expeditions, when private information about his financial and legal affairs was breached by the press.
  • Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was "personally very kind" but Mr Brown got "no support" from the paper. "I'm afraid to say on just about every other issue they were wholly against us, and wanted to see a Conservative government."
  • He did not authorise his aides to use the media to attempt to force Tony Blair's resignation and there is "no evidence" that they did so.
Labour leader Ed Miliband, former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major, current Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg are among those due to give evidence to the inquiry this week.