Letters | 16 July 2011

No defending the tabloids

Sir: Toby Young (Status anxiety, 9 July) suggests that we are only shocked by tabloid phone-hacking scandals because we are ignorant of the ways of tabloid journalism. He seems then to equate phone-hacking hacks with ‘these Fleet Street foot soldiers’ who are busy protecting us from becoming French (shudder) — i.e. even more corrupt. What? Are all the foot soldiers also hackers? I’m not on any high horse, nor am I enjoying an orgy of sanctimony (or of clichés), but to suggest that we should not condemn too readily because the amoral, immoral or downright cruel pursuit of a story is some sort of ethically transcendent category in the search for a purer nation is the sort of editorial comment that makes me wonder if The Spectator really is for me. Ah, but then there’s Peter Oborne’s excellent article.

Tim Clark
By email



Cameron’s career moves


Sir: The piece by Peter Oborne (‘What the papers won’t say’, 9 July) was stunning. My view is indeed that David Cameron is a glib PR-wallah following in the footsteps of Tony Blair. He entered office with no big ideas, and seems destined to leave it having achieved nothing and with his party in disarray. Where are the conviction politicians of yesteryear?

Peter Bromwich

Spain See you in court


Sir: Tom Bower and I are both looking forward to trying my libel suit against him in Toronto, and can leave our many disagreements to that adjudication, where I will testify with pleasure and answer any questions his counsel has for me. And I can assure him of a lively and prolonged sojourn in the witness box explaining the malicious novel he wrote, ostensibly about my wife and family and me. Three factual points arise from his recent letter to the Spectator (9 July).