Roger backs Leveson Report

Roger Godsiff has given his full support to the proposals by Lord Leveson for independent regulations within a statutory framework of Britain’s press. 

Speaking after the Prime Minister had rejected the main findings of the Leveson Report Roger said: “The Leveson inquiry has been the most detailed and thorough investigation into the way the press, particularly the tabloids, currently operate in the United Kingdom.  It has rightly highlighted the abuses and dishonest tactics which some newspapers have indulged in and it has clearly shown that the current Press Complaints Commission, which is hand-picked by newspaper proprietors, is totally inadequate to bring about meaningful redress for those individuals whose lives are torn apart by inaccurate and untrue press allegations.  I deplore the fact that the Prime Minister, having set up the enquiry and promised that he would implement its findings has now back-tracked on these promises and seems to be taking the side of those owners and editors in the press whose actions and illegalities have been so ruthlessly exposed by the Leveson Committee.

Lord Leveson, by proposing independent regulation backed up by statutory legislation, has done a great public service and I for one will be supporting these recommendations.”

UN Vote for Palestinian State is symbolic but necessary.

Welcoming the decision by the UN General Assembly to give ‘non-member state’ status to Palestine within the UN Roger said “The overwhelming support for recognising a Palestinian state by the General Assembly is to be very much welcomed.  Although this vote will not change anything on the ground in the Middle East it is symbolic because when the UN took its historic decision to create the State of Israel it also proposed that a separate Palestinian state should be established.  This was originally rejected by the Palestinians and other Arab countries but the vote, in response to the call by Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian authority, re-emphasises the desire of the world community including the Palestinian and Arab states to seek a permanent two-state solution.”