In an urgent question, he accused the culture secretary, Matt Hancock, of “capitulating to the press barons who want to use their raw power to close down a national public inquiry”. He said Ford’s allegations were covered by the original Leveson inquiry, although his name was mentioned only once in the proceedings in 2011 and 2012. Ken Clarke, the Conservative former minister, said he was disappointed with Hancock’s decision, reflecting some unease on the government benches. We have public inquiries looking into much older allegations of sexual abuse.”Ford held a press conference after the parliamentary debate saying his revelations demonstrated the need for a further inquiry. I want to know what the truth is.”News UK, in a statement, denied it had retained or commissioned any individual to act illegally.

Source: The Guardian March 07, 2018 14:37 UTC