Miliband: How media went wrong (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Miliband: How media went wrong

3:05pm Tuesday 12th June 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Labour leader Ed Miliband has told the inquiry into press standards that something went "very wrong" with the way some journalists dealt with individuals.

He said police had "not investigated properly" and politicians had not spoken out.

Mr Miliband was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, set up in the wake of allegations that journalists at the News of the World newspaper hacked phones.

He told the hearing in London that News International - owner of the News of the World - had huge power and politicians were "reticent to speak".

Mr Miliband said there had been a "failure to get to grips with these issues" by the press, police and politicians.

"There is clearly something which has gone very wrong with the way parts of the press dealt with individuals," Mr Miliband told inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson.

"A failure to get to grips with these issues ... by the press, the police, who did not investigate properly, and I think politicians, who were aware of some of what was going on and did not speak out."

He added: "Organisations like News International had huge power and I think politicians were reticent to speak about some of these practices that were exposed. I include myself in that."

Earlier former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major told the inquiry that media tycoon Rupert Murdoch asked him to change policy on Europe.

Mr Murdoch - owner of The Sun and The Times - warned that without change his newspapers would not support the then Conservative government, Sir John said.