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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Hacked Off 'steamrolled Labour into deal on press regulation' | Hacked Off 'steamrolled Labour into deal on press regulation' |
| (6 months later) | |
| The father of one of the victims of the 7/7 bombings has hit out at Ed Miliband for allowing himself to be "steamrolled" into a deal by pressure group Hacked Off that he believes could "shackle" the press. | The father of one of the victims of the 7/7 bombings has hit out at Ed Miliband for allowing himself to be "steamrolled" into a deal by pressure group Hacked Off that he believes could "shackle" the press. |
| Graham Foulkes, whose son David was killed in the attack at Edgware Road tube station in 2005, said he had an interest in press regulation because he was told by police in 2011 that his phone and that of his son had been hacked by someone linked to the now defunct News of the World. | Graham Foulkes, whose son David was killed in the attack at Edgware Road tube station in 2005, said he had an interest in press regulation because he was told by police in 2011 that his phone and that of his son had been hacked by someone linked to the now defunct News of the World. |
| He said he decided not to sue News International because he felt the only remedy was justice for the alleged perpetrators, not punishment of the press for the alleged criminal offences of a few. | He said he decided not to sue News International because he felt the only remedy was justice for the alleged perpetrators, not punishment of the press for the alleged criminal offences of a few. |
| "The fact is phone hacking and bribery of officials is in itself a criminal offence. It is being dealt with in the criminal courts. Any law that says it's against the law to break the law is just a nonsense," he said, voicing concern that newspapers could face punitive damages in court if a scandal the equivalent of phone hacking happened again. | "The fact is phone hacking and bribery of officials is in itself a criminal offence. It is being dealt with in the criminal courts. Any law that says it's against the law to break the law is just a nonsense," he said, voicing concern that newspapers could face punitive damages in court if a scandal the equivalent of phone hacking happened again. |
| Foulkes, whose son would have celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday, was phoned by police from the Met's Operation Weeting on 5 July 2011, just two days before a national newspaper revealed that victims of the 7/7 attacks had had their phones hacked. | Foulkes, whose son would have celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday, was phoned by police from the Met's Operation Weeting on 5 July 2011, just two days before a national newspaper revealed that victims of the 7/7 attacks had had their phones hacked. |
| "The 7 July was a Thursday. None of us were told by any of the authorities until the following Wednesday what happened. That is six and a half days later. For six and a half days we phoned and phoned David. We were in a very bad place. If they [the News of the World] were listening to those phone calls that's absolutely disgusting," Foulkes said. | "The 7 July was a Thursday. None of us were told by any of the authorities until the following Wednesday what happened. That is six and a half days later. For six and a half days we phoned and phoned David. We were in a very bad place. If they [the News of the World] were listening to those phone calls that's absolutely disgusting," Foulkes said. |
| "To be told that was happening is truly horrifying," he said. He added, however, that the prospect of going to court and reliving the pain of those six and a half days would be so painful, he had decided not to join other victims such as Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan in suing News International. | "To be told that was happening is truly horrifying," he said. He added, however, that the prospect of going to court and reliving the pain of those six and a half days would be so painful, he had decided not to join other victims such as Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan in suing News International. |
| "Janet, my wife, has still not got over that phone call from Weeting. They broke the law, and when the law is broken there should be punishment. I don't want to accept a cheque for £20,000 or £25,000 from News International," he said, explaining this would be no compensation for his family's loss that day. | "Janet, my wife, has still not got over that phone call from Weeting. They broke the law, and when the law is broken there should be punishment. I don't want to accept a cheque for £20,000 or £25,000 from News International," he said, explaining this would be no compensation for his family's loss that day. |
| "These are already criminal offices, we don't need further punishment," he added. | "These are already criminal offices, we don't need further punishment," he added. |
| Foulkes claimed Hacked Off had hijacked the phone-hacking scandal for their own purposes. "They are a pressure group. They are not representative," he said. | Foulkes claimed Hacked Off had hijacked the phone-hacking scandal for their own purposes. "They are a pressure group. They are not representative," he said. |
| He said the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, was "shameless" to have allowed the group to be involved in the late night deal that was struck with the Tories and Lib Dems over press regulation and should not consider it the voice of victims. | He said the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, was "shameless" to have allowed the group to be involved in the late night deal that was struck with the Tories and Lib Dems over press regulation and should not consider it the voice of victims. |
| "Hacked Off became a major force and have swamped the media with their version of events and what they think should happen," he said. | "Hacked Off became a major force and have swamped the media with their version of events and what they think should happen," he said. |
| "Hacked Off seem to have cosied up to the Labour party to such an extent that we can't distinguish between them. The parties have used Leveson as a cosh to beat each other with. What concerns me greatly is that this crucial issue of freedom of the press is being steamrolled through. It's happening because of the political pressure rather than a desire to do the right thing," he said. | "Hacked Off seem to have cosied up to the Labour party to such an extent that we can't distinguish between them. The parties have used Leveson as a cosh to beat each other with. What concerns me greatly is that this crucial issue of freedom of the press is being steamrolled through. It's happening because of the political pressure rather than a desire to do the right thing," he said. |
| Foulkes said he had written to the culture secretary, Maria Miller, to say that Grant's experience did not reflect that of ordinary people innocently caught up in the News of the World's illegal newsgathering operations. | Foulkes said he had written to the culture secretary, Maria Miller, to say that Grant's experience did not reflect that of ordinary people innocently caught up in the News of the World's illegal newsgathering operations. |
| "I emailed Maria Miller to explain that was half the story and I would like to have a meeting to discuss it to get a more balanced view. All I got was a reply from an assistant saying that she couldn't meet because the Leveson inquiry was going on." | "I emailed Maria Miller to explain that was half the story and I would like to have a meeting to discuss it to get a more balanced view. All I got was a reply from an assistant saying that she couldn't meet because the Leveson inquiry was going on." |
| Initially Foulkes welcomed the Leveson inquiry and thought it would re-establish the connection between politicians and ordinary people, but he said the judge "lost his way" once celebrities became involved. | Initially Foulkes welcomed the Leveson inquiry and thought it would re-establish the connection between politicians and ordinary people, but he said the judge "lost his way" once celebrities became involved. |
| "I'm really concerned that Hacked Off have created a head of steam with quite a high emotional content and the parties have got suckered into this," he said. | "I'm really concerned that Hacked Off have created a head of steam with quite a high emotional content and the parties have got suckered into this," he said. |
| "It would be a dark day when politicians are allowed to interfere with the freedom of the press," he said, citing the recent imprisonment of the former Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne and the MPs' expenses scandal as examples of the irresistible temptation of some in power to break the law. | "It would be a dark day when politicians are allowed to interfere with the freedom of the press," he said, citing the recent imprisonment of the former Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne and the MPs' expenses scandal as examples of the irresistible temptation of some in power to break the law. |
| A spokesman for Hacked Off said: "Hacked Off represents most of those victims of press abuse who gave evidence at the Leveson Inquiry, including Gerry and Kate McCann, Christopher Jefferies and scores of other less well-known individuals. The vast majority of them are not celebrities. | A spokesman for Hacked Off said: "Hacked Off represents most of those victims of press abuse who gave evidence at the Leveson Inquiry, including Gerry and Kate McCann, Christopher Jefferies and scores of other less well-known individuals. The vast majority of them are not celebrities. |
| "Mr Foulkes is entitled to his view that there is no need for reforms to press self-regulation, but the victims that we represent see things differently. They, along with the three main party leaders and around 75% of the general public want a new system which protects ordinary people from sections of the media who, in the words of Lord Justice Leveson, 'wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people'." | "Mr Foulkes is entitled to his view that there is no need for reforms to press self-regulation, but the victims that we represent see things differently. They, along with the three main party leaders and around 75% of the general public want a new system which protects ordinary people from sections of the media who, in the words of Lord Justice Leveson, 'wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people'." |
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