Hacked Off have today been branded ‘rank hypocrites’ after a cabinet minister was forced to admit he unknowingly had a relationship with a prostitute he met through online dating.
- Culture Secretary forced to admit relationship with prostitute in 2014
- John Whittingdale says he was ‘unaware’ of the woman’s occupation
- Couple met through online dating website Match.com three years ago
- Mr Whittingdale broke it off after he discovered someone tried to sell story
- Lobby group Hacked Off say that newspapers had ‘obligation’ to print it
- BBC accused of pursuing its own agenda by revealing story on Newsnight
The BBC has also been accused of pursuing its own agenda against Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, who is currently pushing to reform the corporation and its licence fee.
News of the MP’s 2014 relationship was made public last night by Newsnight in an interview with Hacked Off founder Brain Cathcart.
The Tory MP for Maldon told the programme he did not know the woman was a dominatrix and he broke it off when he discovered.
The Independent, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday and The Independent on Sunday decided not to publish, possibly because they thought it was not in the public interest and would breach his privacy.
But pro-privacy lobby group Hacked Off are furious that the MP’s relationship with a woman he met on Match.com was not exposed and said newspapers had an ‘obligation’ to write it.
Critics have said that their stance is hypocritical and had robbed them of any ‘remaining moral standing’ and also claim Mr Whittingdale was targeted by the BBC because he wants to bring in ‘root and branch’ reforms of the corporation.
Hacked Off was formed in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry and is supported by celebrities including Hugh Grant, Steve Coogan and John Cleese, whose own affairs, drug use and divorces have been widely reported in the press.
Fawlty Towers star John Cleese tweeted today: ‘Not in the public interest! What a load of eyewash.. It wasn’t in the Press’s interest, so they censored the story as long as they could.
He added: ‘So…how are they going to blackmail Whittingdale now? They will do anything- ANYTHING – to kill Leveson’.
Brian Cathcart, who helped found Hacked Off in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry, told Newsnight that the story was in the public interest, saying: ‘The public cannot have faith in his judgement and independence.’
He said Mr Whittingdale is ‘compromised’ and should ‘get out of the way’.
Sources in government said it was wrong last night that Hacked Off was calling for the story to be published even though they were supposed to exist to campaign for the private life of individuals to remain private.
Hacked Off’s position on Mr Whittingdale has caused fury online and led to them being called ‘rank hypocrites’.
The executive director of the Society of Editors, Bob Satchwell, said it is a ‘preposterous conspiracy theory too far’ to say newspapers and broadcasters ‘jointly decided not to publish’ the story on Mr Whittingdale.
‘The idea that the newspapers and broadcasters could all get together and say ‘we are not running the story’ is just silly,’ he said.
‘This story seems to be more about the dangers of using dating websites.
‘In effect a single man embarrassingly ended a relationship with a single woman after he discovered she was not all she appeared to be.
‘Since the Leveson report and the establishment of a new and tougher press regulator, papers have become extremely careful about stories involving anyone in public life.’
Mr Satchwell said Mr Whittingdale ‘remains pretty tough’ and ‘not in any way soft on the press’.
Commentator and journalist Ian Dunt tweeted: ‘So Hacked Off are angry with the press for not doing the very thing they have been calling on them not to.
‘This really is the gutter for the press reform movement. They’ve robbed their campaign of its remaining moral standing.
‘The press blackmail angle seems to be 100% innuendo. Is there even a shred of evidence for it?’
@CJSilk tweeted: ‘Hacked Off’s hypocrisy on Whittingdale makes you wonder whether the campaign was ever about principle. What was their real motive?
Ian Patterson99 wrote: ‘It’s bizarre when Hacked Off take a value judgement that a 6 month relationship between two single people *is* in public interest. Sheesh.
Ben Walker tweeted: ‘The news story is that Hacked Off are hacked off that the things they shouted about are working’.
David Worsfold said: Hacked Off have really got their proverbials in a twist. They now seem to want people’s sex lives splashed across the tabloids. Hypocrisy.
Olly Buxton said of Hacked Off: ‘Your position on Whittingdale is staggering. Dumbfounded that you don’t see the rank hypocrisy’.
The BBC were also accused of pursuing Mr Whittingdale on Newsnight as he plans to reform the governance of the BBC.
He has also opened the door to changing the BBC TV licence fee, which he has previously described as being ‘worse than the poll tax’.
Martin Anthony Tett tweeted: ‘So fed up hearing this non ‘story’ about John Whittingdale being pushed by BBC. Two consenting adults. Feels like BBC own agenda?
Adel Darwish wrote: ‘Can anyone recall a time when the BBC gave massive airtime to chastise the Tabloids for NOT invading a politician’s privacy?
@PompeyGoat tweeted: Whittingdale story front page of bbc.co.uk. Absolute scumbags. Sooner license fee is scrapped the better’.
The 56-year-old minister, who is divorced with two children, said he brought the relationship to an end as soon as he discovered her occupation.
In a statement, Mr Whittingdale admitted that the story was ’embarrassing’.
But he said his role as Culture Secretary had not been compromised by his relationship with a sex worker and what the newspapers may have known about it. As part of his job, he oversees press regulation.
He said: ‘Between August 2013 and February 2014, I had a relationship with someone who I first met through Match.com.
‘She was a similar age and lived close to me. At no time did she give me any indication of her real occupation and I only discovered this when I was made aware that someone was trying to sell a story about me to tabloid newspapers.
‘As soon as I discovered, I ended the relationship.
‘This is an old story which was a bit embarrassing at the time. The events occurred long before I took up my present position and it has never had any influence on the decisions I have made as Culture Secretary.’
At the time of the relationship, Mr Whittingdale was chairman of the Commons culture select committee – a backbench position.
Last night, the BBC’s Newsnight reported that the dominatrix worked at an establishment called London Retreat, which came with its own dungeon.
On one occasion, he had gone to the MTV Awards in Amsterdam with the woman, paid for by MTV – but did not report it in his register of members’ interests because the value of the trip was below the reporting threshold.
The programme said Mr Whittingdale had not told Number 10 when he was elevated to the Cabinet last year.
Four papers had had the story, Newsnight said, but had not run it. The papers told Newsnight that that was because there had been no public interest justification.
A spokesman for Downing Street told the programme that Mr Whittingdale is a ‘single man and his private life is his own affair’.
But Labour’s culture spokesman, Chris Bryant, said the Culture Secretary had a ‘right to private life’.
But he suggested he should have withdrawn from making decisions about press regulation because of the ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over his head.
Media commentator Roy Greenslade told Newsnight: ‘I don’t think this compromised his position one wit.’
Mr Whittingdale was political secretary to Margaret Thatcher in the final two years of her premiership.
He married Ancilla Murfitt in 1990, and they had a son and a daughter. The couple are now divorced.
He was elected an MP in 1992, and in 2005 he became chairman of the Commons culture select committee. Last year he was David Cameron’s surprise choice to be Culture Secretary.
WHO ARE HACKED OFF AND HOW ARE THEY FUNDED?
Pressure group Hacked Off was set up in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry and says it is campaigning for a free and accountable press.
It also says it is not affiliated to a political party despite its string of Labour and left wing supporters.
It is believed to be bankrolled by rich individuals but despite campaigning for more transparency it refuses to say.
Senior members will not comment on claims that rich benefactors keen on greater media regulation were covering the costs of the group, which is supported by celebrities including Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan.
According to its website it is funded by donations and names The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust as one of its funders, saying it gave them £100,000. It says that Steve Coogan matched the funds raised through an online appeal.
Blogger Guido Fawkes claims he has a list that shows key donors include Lady Annabel Goldsmith, mother of Jemima Khan and Zac Goldsmith and billionaire Lord Sainsbury, who was one of Labour’s biggest financial backers under Tony Blair.
Another four high-profile donors were claimed to be philosopher Alain de Botton, tycoon Arpad Busson, hairdresser John Frieda and BBC star Jeremy Clarkson – but Mr Clarkson denies this.
The net worth of these rich and powerful men and women is far in excess of £1billion, and they may have helped support the parents of Milly Dowler and Madeleine McCann from press intrusion.