Vindicated – a win for Labour MPs and the left online

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Today’s astonishing events, culminating in the closure of the News of the World, are a complete vindication of a campaign that has been waged by Labour MPs Tom Watson and Chris Bryant, but also of the online left – especially Liberal Conspiracy and Political Scrapbook. Uncovering the catalogue of misdeeds by the paper, and the work in recent days to encourage advertisers to distance themselves from the News of the World, has been nothing short of inspirational.

But what is crucial now is that efforts to tackle the culture that clearly existed within the paper are continued. It now seems likely that another News International publication will rise from the ashes of the News of the World (probably a seven day version of The Sun). If, as is entirely possible, the name of the paper is all that changes, campaigners must be if anything even more vigilant.

The coming weeks will require the record of the NotW to be scrutinised even further, not swept under the carpet. This is a move designed to stop the bleeding for News International and make this story go away. That can’t be allowed to happen. The battle to weed out criminal behaviour in the press has just begun.

But tonight, let us celebrate the work on campaigners – largely from the left – who have achieved something impossible in a pre-Internet age. They have brought down a 168 year old newspaper giant, and their conviction has been vindicated.

We all owe them a debt if gratitude for that.

Update: Rumours are now circulating that NotW staff may have to apply for jobs with a new Sunday Sun. As the vast majority of them were not responsible for the acts that have brought this paper down, it would only be right for them to retained, rather than forced to apply for their jobs as a result of the misdeeds of others. Whilst it is hard to be saddened by the demise of the paper itself, no-one should be pleased to see anyone lose their job today. The fault lies higher up the food chain – it would be a travesty for jobs to be lost to save the careers of more senior staff.

In addition we should pause to note, after all of the momentous shifts in recent weeks, the additional distress caused by this week’s news to innocent people who have lost loved ones in traumatic circumstances. Our thoughts should be with them this evening, and in the days ahead.