He says he has had a "very good" discussion with Paul Staines of the Guido Fawkes blog. Staines told Hunt that what he writes is "always accurate".and he's also claimed that Staines would consider being 'kite marked' by the PCC - as should all bloggers.
Well. Where to start?
Firstly, Lord Hunt is a Tory peer who was chosen by a Tory peer to succeed the previous Tory peer as head of the PCC, following in the footsteps of the first Tory peer in the job. See where I'm going with this one?
Secondly, Guido Fawkes, amusing though he can be, is a bitter, vicious, partisan Tory scumbag (I only object to the last two adjectives in that list) who uses his website to conduct ad hominem smear campaigns, in the service of the Tory party.
Thirdly, I don't think that in an era of phone-hacking, it's quite good enough to accept the word of a gentleman on these matters. A quick look at Guido reveals a cesspit of lies, racism, homophobia and reactionary propaganda.
But: repellent as Guido is, he shouldn't be used to regulate us. I work hard to be right about things, which is why I obsessively link to sources or provide evidence. I accept that as a blogger I'm legally difficult: I'm writing in the UK but the server is probably in the US. None of this really matters though, because I'm only superficially similar to the PCC's members. I have virtually no readership or credibility. If I libel someone, no reputational damage is caused. The idea that I should pay for, and obey, a press regulator as though I were The Sun is absurd. Fawkes makes a lot of money via advertising, but most of us don't.
I haven't hacked anyone's phone.
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