Observer Newspaper (No.2)

EDM number 1124 in 1990-91, proposed by DN Campbell-Savours on 11/07/1991.

That this House notes that on 30th June The Observer newspaper ran an apology to President Hastings Banda of Malawi; notes that The Observer's apology stated 'The Observer wishes to apologise to his Excellency the life President of Malawi Nawagi, Dr H. Kanuzu Banda, Mama C. Tamanda Kadyamira and the Honourable J. Z. U. Tembo for any embarrassment or grief they may have suffered as a result of our dateline of 16th June headlined "Land of the Funny Peculiar Julie Flint"; questions how it is that over half a million liberal thinking people persist in buying The Observer newspaper whilst its proprietor allows conflicts of interest to determine what can or cannot be reported; asks Observer readers to recall how repeatedly The Observer has pressed its proprietorial interests even to the point of printing mid-week editions and losing award winning journalists such as David Leigh; expresses the view that, whilst it may be true that The Observer inhabits one of London's most magnificent examples of contemporary architecture, much admired by the honourable Member for Workington, it is inhabited by one of London's most unattractive and old fashioned proprietors; is bewildered as to how Tiny Rowland managed to allow an architect such exhilarating freedom of expression and yet treat his journalists like copy writers; and calls upon Tiny Rowland to divest himself of control of the Observer Newspaper.

This motion has been signed by a total of 1 MPs.