Sackings At The Sunday Express

EDM number 211 in 1998-99, proposed by Julie Kirkbride on 19/01/1999.

That this House notes with concern the summary dismissal of Ian Walker, Executive Editor of the Sunday Express and the attempted demotion of Amanda Platell, Executive Editor of the Sunday Express only weeks after the newspaper revealed details of the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool's trips to Brazil and his friendship with Reinaldo Aliva da Silva; further notes that the proprietor of the Sunday Express, Labour Peer and former advisor to the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool, exerted pressure on the editors of the Sunday Express to water down their story; further notes that a senior journalist from the Sun newspaper was dismissed after comments he made on television about the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool and that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Press Secretary was forced to resign after he allegedly revealed details of the loan from the honourable Member for Country North West to the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool; calls on the Government to support an open and free Press; and hopes there will be no further resignations from the Sunday Express.

This motion has been signed by a total of 9 MPs.