Mr S was a guest at last night’s Paul Foot Award, the investigative journalism prize co-hosted by the Guardian and Private Eye. While Alan Rusbridger was unable to attend the Piccadilly bash, his co-sponsor Ian Hislop made sure the departing Guardian editor-in-chief’s presence was felt. ‘Alan’s not here. He is retiring as you know, he’s very retiring, he never mentions the Pulitzer prize,’ he said to roars of laughter from the audience.
Next in Hislop’s firing line was Hugh Grant, with the Private Eye editor taking aim at the Love Actually actor for his recent claim in the Guardian that it was Hacked Off who saved the press from police spying.
‘Interestingly Hugh Grant wrote a piece in the Guardian saying this was all down to Hacked Off, and he said the newspapers did nothing which turns out wasn’t strictly true. This all goes to prove what Hugh said all along, that you cannot believe what you read in the papers.’
However, it was the fall-out from the recent HSBC tax scandal which took up the majority of Hislop’s speech.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in