[thread]
"Why is the freedom of the Press so important? It is not because our newspapers are invariably literate, scrupulous and wise. They are not. "
"Why is the freedom of the Press so important? It is not because our newspapers are invariably literate, scrupulous and wise. They are not. "
"It is because newspapers exist not only to protect their own freedom, but to defend the freedom of others. That freedom is threatened both at home and abroad."
"Your hospitality tonight precludes me from giving you one of those high-minded lectures on the importance of your behaving responsibly, which some politicians in the past have made the mistake of delivering to your profession."
"In any case, I am bound to say that I am reasonably satisfied with the traditional arrangement under which we politicians leave you journalists to get on with your job while you journalists tell us how to do ours."
"It is an arrangement which, for all its exasperations, is essential to the functioning of parliamentary democracy."
"Guardians of the public conscience you may be, and it is a noble role; formers of public opinion you certainly are, but you are also, and it is in this that your value largely consists, you are also reflectors of the public mind."
"Without you politicians would easily find themselves living in a cosy little world of their own imagining, blissfully ignorant, until too late, of what the people thought of them and of their policies."
"Charlemagne, Caesar and Napoleon were invited by Brezhnev to view the military parade in Red Square. As the endless procession of rocket troops, armour and guards divisions trundled past, "
"Brezhnev asked Caesar what he felt. “With all this I would not have crossed the Rubicon twice but thrice” was the reply. "
"Brezhnev then asked Charlemagne for his opinion. “Given but half of what I see here, I would not have stopped at the Pyrenees, I would have liberated Saudi Arabia” . "
"All this time Napoleon had been sitting with his back to the Procession reading Pravda. Brezhnev, irritated, turned and asked the Emperor for his reaction. “All I know is that if I had had a newspaper like this I would never have learnt of my defeat at Moscow” was his reply."
"So press freedom is something which ought to be as dear to politicians as it is to journalists;I want to suggest to you tonight,however,(&I think I can do so without being “sensational”,a vice which I know you all deplore) that this freedom is in danger on a number of fronts."
Oh and a reminder
Where this afternoon they came for the journalists
This morning they came for the lawyers
Where this afternoon they came for the journalists
This morning they came for the lawyers
Oh and if you want to know the break down of MPs by various categories
See here
You can decide whether the Conservative Party were criticizing MP's and ministers who come from a legal background or where criticizing some unnamed lawyers
researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-…
See here
You can decide whether the Conservative Party were criticizing MP's and ministers who come from a legal background or where criticizing some unnamed lawyers
researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-…
