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.
Retired senior Scottish police officer, House was the first Chief Constable of Police Scotland, appointed October 2012. Awarded Queen's Police Medal in 2005 for distinguished service and knighted in 2013 for services to law and order. Gave evidence on procedures and relationship with the press in Strathclyde.
Broadcaster, journalist, writer and television presenter. Marr began his career as a political commentator, subsequently edited The Independent, and at time of giving evidence was working for the BBC. Marr told the Inquiry that rivalry between journalists was inevitable and that forming good contacts with Ministers was necessary and inevitable and that the Inquiry should not be too “fastidious”.
Scottish journalist and a former deputy editor of The Scotsman. Editor of The Independent on Sunday at the time of the Inquiry, Mullin gave evidence on behalf of that paper and said that IoS journalists would be expected to work to the highest ethical standards. He defended his decision to publish a story during the days of the Inquiry detailing Andy Coulson's shareholding in News Corporation while Coulson was working for 10 Downing Street. Mullin refused to reveal how he had come by Coulson's witness statement.
Editor of The Herald newspaper and Editor-in-Chief of the Herald and Times Group, comprising The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times newspapers at the time of the Inquiry. Gave views on Lord Black's proposals and their relevance to the situation of the press in Scotland.
At the time of the Inquiry, Blott was Regional Managing Director of Herald and Times, which published The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times papers in Scotland and was a division of the Newsquest Media Group. Blott told the Inquiry that he had been aware of a covert journalistic investigation into political lobbying where secret recording was undertaken. The recording, which was later destroyed, complied fully with Press Complaints Commission guidelines, he told the Inquiry.
Founded in 1451. Glasgow University is the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world, and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Along with the University of Edinburgh, it was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century. It is currently a member of Universitas 21, the international network of research universities and the Russell Group.
British Labour politician, author, MP for Sunderland South from 1987 to 2010. During the 1980s, Mullin led a campaign that resulted in the release of the Birmingham Six, the victims of a miscarriage of justice. His novel A Very British Coup was adapted for television. Told the Inquiry of his concerns about ownership of the Press and, in particular, the power of News International titles and that group’s influence on policy of successive governments.
Broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. The Herald claims to be the longest-running national newspaper in the world, and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from The Glasgow Herald in 1992. Edited at the time of the Inquiry by Jonathan Russell, who gave evidence on the relationship between press and police in Strathclyde and the importance of professional press officers aiding the police.
Evidence was given by Chief Constable Stephen House and Director of Communications Rob Shorthouse on behalf of the former territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire between 1975 and 2013, when an Act of the Scottish Parliament (the Police and Fire Reform [Scotland] Act 2012) created a single police service, known as Police Scotland.
