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The father of missing Madeleine McCann
has been labelled a hypocrite after he
appeared on breakfast TV to criticise
the government for dragging its heels
over press reforms.
Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine
vanished from a holiday apartment in
Portugal in 2007, was quizzed on BBC
breakfast earlier today after he signed
his name on a letter to the Prime
Minister posing questions about the
Leveson inquiry.
The letter, which is also signed by
other victims of press intrusion,
including Christoper Jefferies, who was
wrongly accused of murder, criticises
the government for failing to enact
promises it made over press reform.
The open letter, published in the
Guardian, read: "We believe that it
is not just us whom you are at risk of
betraying, but Parliament, the public at
large and future victims of a press
industry which was condemned by Leveson
for 'wreaking havoc in the lives of
innocent people'.
"If your promises are not kept, history
tells us that newspapers will wreak
havoc again."
Mr McCann told the programme: "The Prime
Minister promised us that the victims
would remain at the centre of the
Leveson reforms and we feel that our
views have been pushed aside."
However, Mr McCann was roundly slammed
on Twitter for "hypocrisy" by senior
media commentators as he and his wife
Kate have been accused of courting media
coverage in the past.
The McCanns reportedly paid PR agency
Bell Pottinger £500,000 to keep the case
in the media spotlight. |
