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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Morrissey insists on NME apology | Morrissey insists on NME apology |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Morrissey's lawyers have threatened legal action against the NME unless the magazine publishes an apology for an article about the former Smiths star. | Morrissey's lawyers have threatened legal action against the NME unless the magazine publishes an apology for an article about the former Smiths star. |
| The magazine has criticised the singer, 48, for allegedly telling a reporter Britain had lost its identity due to high levels of immigration. | The magazine has criticised the singer, 48, for allegedly telling a reporter Britain had lost its identity due to high levels of immigration. |
| His lawyers said they would begin legal proceedings for defamation if the NME had not issued a retraction by 1300GMT. | His lawyers said they would begin legal proceedings for defamation if the NME had not issued a retraction by 1300GMT. |
| The deadline passed without an apology from the publication. | The deadline passed without an apology from the publication. |
| Earlier, the NME released a statement which read: "We can confirm that Morrissey's legal representatives have been in contact with NME and pending the outcome of these discussions we won't be commenting any further." | Earlier, the NME released a statement which read: "We can confirm that Morrissey's legal representatives have been in contact with NME and pending the outcome of these discussions we won't be commenting any further." |
| Identity | Identity |
| The magazine quoted Morrissey allegedly saying: "Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears. So the price is enormous." | The magazine quoted Morrissey allegedly saying: "Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears. So the price is enormous." |
| "If you travel to Germany, it's still absolutely Germany. If you travel to Sweden, it still has a Swedish identity. But travel to England and you have no idea where you are," the singer is reported to have said. | "If you travel to Germany, it's still absolutely Germany. If you travel to Sweden, it still has a Swedish identity. But travel to England and you have no idea where you are," the singer is reported to have said. |
| Morrissey has spent the last decade living in Rome and Los Angeles. | Morrissey has spent the last decade living in Rome and Los Angeles. |
| In a follow-up interview concerning his comments, the NME reported that Morrissey had said: "It could be construed that the reason I wouldn't wish to live in England is the immigration explosion. And that's not true at all." | In a follow-up interview concerning his comments, the NME reported that Morrissey had said: "It could be construed that the reason I wouldn't wish to live in England is the immigration explosion. And that's not true at all." |
| "There are other reasons why I would find England very difficult, such as the expense and the pressure," he said. | "There are other reasons why I would find England very difficult, such as the expense and the pressure," he said. |
| He is alleged to have added that he did not think his comments were inflammatory, but were "a statement of fact". | He is alleged to have added that he did not think his comments were inflammatory, but were "a statement of fact". |
| The singer's manager accused the NME of "character assassination". | The singer's manager accused the NME of "character assassination". |
| Tim Jonze, the freelance journalist who interviewed Morrissey, told the BBC that he didn't approve of the singer's comments and had found them "offensive". | |
| He said he had asked for his name to be removed from the article because it had been rewritten. | |
| "I didn't want my name on something I hadn't written, even if some of it might have been similar to what I wrote originally," he said. |