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| Brooks Newmark sting wholly in public interest, says Sunday Mirror editor | Brooks Newmark sting wholly in public interest, says Sunday Mirror editor |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The editor of the Sunday Mirror has stoutly defended her newspaper’s publication of the sex sting scandal that prompted Tory minister Brooks Newmark to resign, describing it as “wholly in the public interest”. | The editor of the Sunday Mirror has stoutly defended her newspaper’s publication of the sex sting scandal that prompted Tory minister Brooks Newmark to resign, describing it as “wholly in the public interest”. |
| Alison Phillips’ defence came as the Mirror’s leading rival, the Sun newspaper, confirmed that it had turned down the story. The Mail on Sunday is also understood to have turned the story down. | |
| In making the decision the Sun’s news editors are understood to have contacted Stig Abell, the former director of the Press Complaints Commission who is now managing editor of the Sun. | |
| Although the Sun refused to talk about the reasons for the refusal to publish, editors there were understood to be concerned about the use of photos and also whether entrapment could be proved. | Although the Sun refused to talk about the reasons for the refusal to publish, editors there were understood to be concerned about the use of photos and also whether entrapment could be proved. |
| Phillips denied that the sting, which involved a freelance male reporter pretending to be a young woman in tweets to several Tory MPs, was a “fishing expedition”. | Phillips denied that the sting, which involved a freelance male reporter pretending to be a young woman in tweets to several Tory MPs, was a “fishing expedition”. |
| “We have a man who was a minister of state sending explicit messages to someone he believed was a 21-year-old intern desperate to get into politics,” Phillips said. “That’s wholly inappropriate and wholly in the public interest.” | “We have a man who was a minister of state sending explicit messages to someone he believed was a 21-year-old intern desperate to get into politics,” Phillips said. “That’s wholly inappropriate and wholly in the public interest.” |
| After the paper was approached by the unidentified reporter just over a week prior to publication this weekend, Phillips said she set two seasoned reporters on the case who spent a “huge amount of time thinking about this story”. | After the paper was approached by the unidentified reporter just over a week prior to publication this weekend, Phillips said she set two seasoned reporters on the case who spent a “huge amount of time thinking about this story”. |
| With press regulator Ipso set to investigate the story following a complaint by Mark Pritchard MP, one of the Tory politicians contacted by the fake Tory PR woman, “Sophie Wittans”, via Twitter, Phillips said: “We are seriously mindful of the Ipso code. It’s at the forefront of our minds in every single story that goes into the Sunday Mirror ... this was not a fishing expedition.” | With press regulator Ipso set to investigate the story following a complaint by Mark Pritchard MP, one of the Tory politicians contacted by the fake Tory PR woman, “Sophie Wittans”, via Twitter, Phillips said: “We are seriously mindful of the Ipso code. It’s at the forefront of our minds in every single story that goes into the Sunday Mirror ... this was not a fishing expedition.” |
| The complaint to Ipso is the first test case for the new regulator set up in the wake of the Leveson inquiry after much of the press refused to cover the phone-hacking scandal. Previous rulings by its predecessor the Press Complaints Commission suggest the paper would need a strong public interest justification for employing such subterfuge. | The complaint to Ipso is the first test case for the new regulator set up in the wake of the Leveson inquiry after much of the press refused to cover the phone-hacking scandal. Previous rulings by its predecessor the Press Complaints Commission suggest the paper would need a strong public interest justification for employing such subterfuge. |
| When the Daily Telegraph’s journalists pretended in 2011 to be the constituents of Lib-Dem MPs, the paper cited prior knowledge of their statements and yet were still judged by the PCC to be guilty of engaging in a fishing expedition. | When the Daily Telegraph’s journalists pretended in 2011 to be the constituents of Lib-Dem MPs, the paper cited prior knowledge of their statements and yet were still judged by the PCC to be guilty of engaging in a fishing expedition. |
| As co-chair of Women2Win, a pressure group set up to increase the involvement of women in the Conservative party, Newmark, advocated the advancement of young women who wished to progress in politics. In part because of this role, he returned to government in July this year, as minister for civil society. Newmark had previously been remonstrated with over his relatively prolific use of Twitter. | As co-chair of Women2Win, a pressure group set up to increase the involvement of women in the Conservative party, Newmark, advocated the advancement of young women who wished to progress in politics. In part because of this role, he returned to government in July this year, as minister for civil society. Newmark had previously been remonstrated with over his relatively prolific use of Twitter. |
| Phillips, who also edits the Mirror’s sister title, the People, refused to confirm the identity of the freelance reporter but said: “I edit the Sunday Mirror and I take responsibility for it.” | Phillips, who also edits the Mirror’s sister title, the People, refused to confirm the identity of the freelance reporter but said: “I edit the Sunday Mirror and I take responsibility for it.” |
| It is not unusual for staff reporters at tabloid papers to write a story delivered by a freelancer though there is not usually such secrecy surrounding the writer’s identity. | It is not unusual for staff reporters at tabloid papers to write a story delivered by a freelancer though there is not usually such secrecy surrounding the writer’s identity. |
| Kelvin Mackenzie, the controversial former editor of the Sun, wrote admiringly of Newmark in 2005. When contacted on Monday he said: “I’ve known Brooke for 10 years and he is a good guy. I feel sorry for him.” | Kelvin Mackenzie, the controversial former editor of the Sun, wrote admiringly of Newmark in 2005. When contacted on Monday he said: “I’ve known Brooke for 10 years and he is a good guy. I feel sorry for him.” |