Prime Minister of UK and Leader of Labour Party 2007 - 2010, prior to which he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in Blair Government from 1997 - 2007. Brown was a Member of Parliament from 1983 - 2015, first for Dunfermline East and later for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Stood down as MP in 2015. Brown criticised the Sun for use of unauthorised information about his son's medical details and accused Rupert Murdoch of lying on oath. He criticised James Murdoch of "breathtaking arrogance" and claimed that the Conservative Party adopted all the policies put forward by the Murdoch company.
Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 and UK Prime Minister when the Inquiry was set up. Cameron was close to the Murdoch newspapers and had appointed Andy Coulson, former editor of the News of the World, as his principal media adviser. Gave extensive evidence to the Inquiry agreeing that self-regulation was not working but arguing that statutory regulation was worrying. He admitted Coulson was “a controversial appointment” but said he had had no overt or covert deal with newspapers.
Deputy Prime Minister at the time of the Inquiry and until 2015. Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 to 2017. Appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for Political and Public Service. Told the Inquiry he believed a strong, free press was the lifeblood of a democracy but that revelations about News of the World phone-hacking had led to widespread revulsion. He gave evidence on the importance of the press in holding politicians to account and raising issues that politicians would rather not see aired.
Director of the Science Media Centre at time of the Inquiry. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to science. Was asked by the Inquiry to submit guidelines on the reporting of science and health stories.
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.
Hughes was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2010 to 2014, and from 2013 until 2015 was Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice. In 2012, he gave lengthy evidence to the Inquiry about the extent of hacking of his private phone from 2002 to 2006, when details of his private relationships had been made public and The Sun had reported that Hughes had made telephone calls to a gay chat service. He learnt of the full extent of the hacking only after Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman were convicted of illegally intercepting voicemails on behalf of the News of the World in 2007. Hughes discovered that Mulcaire had collected extensive information about his contacts, private hotline and phone calls. Hughes told the Inquiry that he had seen the emergence of an increasingly unhealthy relationship between politicians and the Murdoch newspapers.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, following stints as Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Thatcher Government. Had retired from politics at time of giving evidence, having been MP for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. He told the Inquiry that in a private meeting before the 1997 general election, Rupert Murdoch had pressed for the Conservative Government to alter policy regarding the EU or risk losing the support of his papers. In the event, The Sun did back Labour in the 1997 election. While characterising the UK press as a whole as a "curate's egg", Major told the Inquiry he believed The Sun had "lowered the tone" of public life. He believed newspaper proprietors should be "personally liable" for articles in their newspapers, not able to "wash their hands" of alleged wrongdoing by individual reporters.
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".
Politician and Labour Party leader at the time of the Inquiry, Miliband gave evidence that he believed there should be a cap on media ownership and suggested it should be set lower than the proportion of the market currently then owned by the Murdoch empire. He said he had "no worries" about a company owning 20 per cent of the UK market but above that there was a question. Miliband was re-elected as MP for Doncaster North in 2010, 2015, and again in 2017.
Scottish politician. First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. MP for Banff and Buchan from 1987 to 2010, and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) for more than twenty years. Answered questions on transparency and relations between politicians and press with particular relevance to Scotland.
