Prince Harry wins bid for privacy trial against Daily Mail publisher

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2023

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Prince Harry and stars including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley have won their bid to take the publisher of the Daily Mail to trial over alleged phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy.

Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) stood accused of carrying out or commissioning unlawful information gathering, such as hiring private investigators to placing listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records, and accessing and recording private phone conversations.

The publisher “firmly” denied the allegations. At a preliminary hearing in March, its legal team asked Mr Justice Nicklin to rule in its favour without a trial, arguing the legal challenge had been brought “far too late”.

But in a ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Nicklin said ANL had “not been able to deliver a ‘knockout blow’ to the claims of any of these claimants”.

In his 95-page judgment, he said each of the seven people have a “real prospect” of demonstrating ANL concealed “relevant facts” that would have allowed them to bring a claim against the publisher earlier.

“What was deliberately hidden from the claimants – if they are correct in their allegations – were the underlying unlawful acts that are alleged to have been used to obtain information for subsequent publication,” he added.

Actor Hugh Grant, who is a board director for Hacked Off, a press reform campaign group, described the ruling as a “significant blow to the Daily Mail”.

He added it is “great news” for anyone who “wants the truth about allegations of illegal press practices to come out”.

Harry brought the privacy case along with six others, including Sir Elton‘s husband David Furnish, actress and designer Sadie Frost, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes.

The royal made an appearance at the Royal Courts of Justice during the four-day hearing in March, with Sir Elton, Ms Frost and Lady Lawrence also attending at times.

What’s alleged?

Lawyers for the claimants have said they had become aware of “highly distressing” evidence revealing they had been victims of “abhorrent criminal activity” and “gross breaches of privacy” by Associated Newspapers.

Accusations include:

• The hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people’s cars and homes;

• The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record people’s live, private telephone calls while they were taking place;

• The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception;

• Paying police officials, with corrupt links to private investigators, for sensitive information;

• Accessing bank accounts and financial transactions.

The latest move in Harry’s crusade against tabloids

This is another significant step for Prince Harry’s crusade against the press.

And yes, we’ve been here before. Back in June, the Duke of Sussex made history when he appeared in the witness box in his case against the publishers of the Mirror.

But Harry’s made it clear he wants to take on all the tabloids, and this case is another chapter.

The allegations against Associated Newspapers Ltd echo those we’ve heard before: phone hacking and blagging – obtaining information by deceit.

We don’t yet know the full details, but those bringing the allegations all say they suffered “distress and harm”.

And Harry isn’t the only claimant; the case also involves Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, as well as Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, the former politician Sir Simon Hughes and Baroness Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Perhaps Doreen Lawrence’s allegations could be most significant. She is suing the very newspapers that so publicly backed her campaign for justice.

‘Preposterous smears’

ANL has described the allegations as “preposterous smears”, and claimed legal action taken is “a fishing expedition by [the] claimants and their lawyers”.

Adrian Beltrami KC, for ANL, said the legal action against it had “no real prospects of succeeding” and was “barred” under a legal period of limitation.

He added the claimants could have used “reasonable diligence” to find out if they had a potential claim before October 2016.

Many of the claimants had brought legal action against other newspaper groups and hired lawyers involved in the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and phone hacking litigation, which took place in 2011 and 2012, as well as a “research team”, the barrister said.

“It is inconceivable that what is claimed to be the key new information leading to each claimant realising they had a claim arrived unbidden in the past couple of years,” Mr Beltrami said. “It must have been the product of a process, probably over a number of years.”

However, lawyers for the claimants said they were “thrown off the scent”, having believed “categorical denials” from ANL over any involvement in unlawful activity.

David Sherborne, representing Harry and others, described ANL’s bid to end the claims as “ambitious as it is unattractive”.

UK

Starmer’s plan to recognise Palestinian state labelled ‘appeasement towards jihadist terrorists’ by Netanyahu

Published

7 hours ago

July 30, 2025

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Starmer's plan to recognise Palestinian state labelled 'appeasement towards jihadist terrorists' by Netanyahu

Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to recognise Palestine as a state has been attacked as “appeasement towards jihadist terrorists” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The prime minister said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end the situation in Gaza, Israel agrees to a ceasefire, commits to a long-term sustainable peace, allows the UN to restart aid supplies and does not annexe the West Bank.

About 250 MPs from all parties – half of them Labour – had signed a letter last week calling for Sir Keir to immediately recognise a Palestinian state.

Politics latest: PM’s Palestine plan labelled ‘absurd’

Sir Keir said that by giving Israel a deadline of 9 September UN meeting, he hoped this would play a part “in changing the conditions on the ground, and making sure aid gets into making sure that there is hope of a two-state solution for the future”.

But Mr Netanyahu condemned the plan, saying Sir Keir “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims”.

“A jihadist state on Israel’s border today will threaten Britain tomorrow,” he wrote on X.

“Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”

The Israelis also accused Sir Keir of pandering to his MPs and France, after Emmanuel Macron committed to recognising a Palestinian state last week, and harming efforts to release Israeli hostages.

Lib Dems and Greens: ‘Bargaining chip’

Sir Keir also faced accusations of using Palestinian state recognition as a “bargaining chip” by both the Lib Dems and the Green Party.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said a Palestinian state should have been recognised “months ago” and “far greater action” is needed to stop the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Ellie Chowns, who wants immediate state recognition, said it was a “cynical political gesture”.

Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s former SNP first minister, who revealed a family member was killed in Gaza days ago, told Sky News statehood “shouldn’t be dependent” upon the conditions Sir Keir has set for Israel, but is the “inalienable right” of the Palestinian people.

The British Palestinian Committee, representing Palestinian interests in the UK, described conditions as “absurd and performative”.

UK Jewish groups seek clarity

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the UK’s largest Jewish organisation, said it was “seeking urgent clarification” that the UK will not recognise Palestine as a state if Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity, or if Hamas keeps rejecting a ceasefire deal.

The Labour Friends of Israel group said it has “shared goals” with the government but state recognition “will be a merely symbolic act unless the UK uses its influence to establish the principles of a meaningful pathway to a Palestinian state”.

Sarah Champion, Labour MP and chair of the international development committee, who started the MP letter calling for state recognition, said she was “delighted and relieved”.

However, she added: “I’m troubled our recognition appears conditional on Israel’s actions.”

When Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the plan at a UN meeting, he received applause.

Not many other Labour MPs commented.

Tories accuse Starmer of appeasing MPs

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of being more focused on a “political problem for the Labour Party” than other issues facing the UK.

“Recognising a Palestinian state won’t bring the hostages home, won’t end the war and won’t get aid into Gaza,” she posted on X.

“This is political posturing at its very worst.”

Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said the announcement was “to appease his backbenchers” as “he knows that promises to recognise Palestine will not secure lasting peace”.

Trump did not discuss statehood with Starmer

Donald Trump said he and Sir Keir “never did discuss” the PM’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state during their meetings in Scotland the day before.

However, Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the US state department, said Sir Keir’s plan is a “slap in the face for the victims of October 7”, which “rewards Hamas”, the Telegraph reported.

UK

Southport remembers ‘three little angels’ one years on from attack

Published

10 hours ago

July 29, 2025

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Southport remembers 'three little angels' one years on from attack

At St Marie’s Catholic Church in Southport, small photos of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar stood on the altar. Candles burned next to them.

During lunchtime mass, Father John Heneghan, who gave Alice her first communion and then conducted her funeral, spoke quietly of the “three little angels” lost a year ago.

A town and a community, in small and quiet ways, remembered a horror that still haunts them.

St Marie’s was one of the locations chosen for the people of Southport to come and reflect, pray or light a candle in memory of the awful events of 29 July last year.

Throughout the day, a handful of people have paused for a moment at community centres, libraries and churches.

The town had opted for very little outward show of commemoration.

After discussions, including with the families of the victims, they asked for people to instead donate to local causes, including the charities set up by those families themselves – Elsie’s Story, Bebe’s Hive and Alice’s WonderDance.

They requested no flowers at the scene of the attack or the schools the girls attended.

“Let us continue to honour the lives of Alice, Bebe and Elsie,” the leader and chair of Sefton Council said in a letter to the community, “not only through remembrance but by holding onto the values they embodied – joy, creativity, kindness, and love.”

At 3pm, people stopped to observe the three-minute silence in the town centre.

A few wiped away tears before spontaneous applause broke out.

In Southport’s Town Hall Gardens, which was the focal point of the public mourning a year ago, people again came to place flowers, toys and cards in memory of the victims.

Stones bearing messages of support to the families were also placed there.

“God bless to you three little angels,” read one card.

UK

Resident doctors threaten further strikes as government rules out additional pay hikes

Published

10 hours ago

July 29, 2025

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Resident doctors threaten further strikes as government rules out additional pay hikes

Resident doctors are not ruling out further strike action as their current walkout comes to an end, with some demands still unmet.

The latest strike began on Friday amid an ongoing row over pay and is expected to last until 7am on Wednesday.

Hospital leaders have urged the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government to end the strikes, which caused widespread disruptions throughout the NHS in England.

The BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) says it is ready for further talks with the government but has yet to be contacted by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Dozens of resident doctors, previously called junior doctors, took part in a picket line on Tuesday at King George Hospital in Ilford, a facility serving the constituents of the health secretary.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t heard from him yet. That doesn’t mean that he’s not going to call us tomorrow – our door is always open,” said Dr Melissa Ryan, who co-chairs the committee alongside Dr Ross Nieuwoudt.

Dr Nieuwoudt said: “There does not need to be a single other day of industrial action at all.

“All Wes Streeting needs to do is come to us now and talk to us now, because that’s what doctors want and that’s what patients need.”

The union has also launched a related dispute with the government over limited training spots, as this year, over 30,000 resident doctors competed for only 10,000 specialty places.

A recent poll of 4,400 doctors found that 52% finishing their second training year lack confirmed employment for August.

Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at NHS Confederation, said: “Resident doctors have recently had a very substantial increase in their pay and the government has been pretty clear that at the moment, there isn’t more money to be negotiated.”

Dr McCay said the government “is keen” to discuss non-pay issues, such as workforce conditions.

“I think that the hope of all healthcare leaders is that the BMA will get around the table with the government and figure out a solution to this, because what absolutely nobody wants to see is any further cases of industrial action after this one.”

Streeting has said the union can’t “hold the country to ransom” following a 28.9% pay increase over the past three years, the highest in the public sector.

The BMA has said pay for resident doctors has declined by a fifth since 2008, once inflation is taken into account, despite this uplift.

Meanwhile, health workers represented by the GMB and Unite unions have also turned down a government offer, raising the likelihood of additional industrial action within the NHS.

Nurses are also expected to turn down the pay deal later this week.

The Royal College of Nursing, which represents hundreds of thousands of nurses across the NHS in England, is balloting its members on the 3.6% pay award offered for 2025/26 in England.

A recent YouGov poll found that public opinion in Britain is divided over nurses striking for better pay. Among 4,300 adults surveyed, 19% “strongly support” nurse strikes, while 28% offer some support. In contrast, 23% “strongly oppose” the strikes, and 20% “somewhat oppose” them.