The BBC may have reprimanded John Humphrys for suggesting some
politicians were liars but there is no such restraint on the political
journalists working for the redtops.
Sun political editor Trevor
Kavanagh and Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire had no
hesitation in blaming politicians for their untrustworthy image.
Maguire
told the conference: “Getting to the truth is getting harder and harder
because you can’t rely on many politicians to tell the truth any more.
I agree with John Humphrys that politicians fall into that group who do
lie. If politicians want more respect they’ve got to earn it.”
Kavanagh
contrasted New Labour to the Tory government when Bernard Ingham was
Number 10 spokesman. “If you went to Bernard Ingham with a story that
was embarrassing for the Government, if it was correct he would own up.”
He
said that ex-Labour Party spin doctor Lance Price’s newly published
diaries revealed at least three admissions of “outright lies” and the
Lobby may seek assurances from Downing Street that it will not happen
again.
“We’ve seen in print the vindication of our doubts from someone who was on the inside track,” said Kavanagh.
However,
John Lloyd of the Financial Times told the session that the Mirror and
The Sun go for political stories “to get” somebody and it was not
surprising that politicians developed shields to deflect “laser-guided”
journalism.
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