British solicitor and Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament since 1982, first for Peckham, and then for successor constituency of Camberwell and Peckham from 1997. Harman was Shadow Deputy Leader at the time of the Inquiry. She had served in various Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet positions and, in her role as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party served twice as Acting Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. Her evidence covered consideration of regulation and the need for the Inquiry to address media ownership.
Prime Minister of the UK and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2016 but, at the time of giving evidence in 2012, Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities. Among other ministerial and Shadow roles, had previously been a Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport. Gave lengthy evidence on her ministerial oversight of the police and of police/media relations. Offered detailed answers to questions on allegations of phone-hacking and other improper conduct within News International. Asked whether she had ever discussed media policy, Ofcom or BskyB with Rupert Murdoch or anyone representing his interests, she answered "No".
Director of Public Prosecutions at the time of giving evidence. He answered questions on DPP investigations into phone hacking which had resulted in the trial and prison sentences of Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman. Starmer told the Inquiry that by 2011, after more press revelations from victims such as Sienna Miller and press stories about phone hacking (including in the New York Times) he knew there had to be a full review of all the material available. Starmer said that he had met with Assistant Commissioner John Yates to tell him that. Starmer became Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015 and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2014 and sworn in as a Privy Councillor on 19 July 2017.