Spin Doctors And Lobby Journalists

EDM number 654 in 1996-97, proposed by Peter Bottomley on 12/03/1997.

That this House expresses sympathy for Jill Sherman of The Times, Patrick Wintour of the Observer, Andrew Grice of The Sunday Times, Tony Bevins of The Independent, Martin Kettle of The Guardian, Phil Webster of The Times and Don MacIntyre of The Independent for being described in Tribune's Cassandra's article on the symbiotic relationship between spin-doctors and lobby journalists who may be offered exclusive memoranda or the odd defection if they toe the line, including allowing the spin doctors to read copy over the shoulder before it reaches the subs, or accepting mobile telephone or pager advice and questions from the Labour Party for use at other parties' press conferences; congratulates Alan Rusbridger for failing to 'get a grip' on his lobby foursome; and notes Trevor Kavanagh's remark that if Labour's spin doctors say three times a story is untrue, it is true.

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