Assange and Labour

I have posted on Julian Assange, here, http://bit.ly/YlGHld and here http://bit.ly/13Fv3Ww but it really didn't connect at the double standards that are in play.  More on that in a moment.

The Assange issue - doesn't quite have the same ring or depth of L'affaire Dreyfuss  - is back in the news because the Labour had a meeting with the Ecuadorean embassy, and, during this, the Ecuadoreans 'unexpectedly' raised the issue.  Unexpectedly?  Really? 

Frankly it beggars belief that the Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kerry McCarthy, didn't expect that to come up.  Ask yourself, in the last 12 months, how many times have you heard mention of Ecuador and Assange's name not immediately following in the same sentence?  Go into Google and type Ecuador and UK  and what do you think pops up?  Bi-lateral Trade?  Environmental matters?

This, Kerry McCarthy is the person who thinks she might be HM Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary in a couple of years and she was surprised?!? Maybe she should try having some red meat and then she might better understand something of the real world! - Cue personal attack from the 'vegan community'.

But back to Assange and indeed Wikileaks.

What, in this era of Leveson, would be the position of Wikileaks and those that published the leaked data?

Firstly, this data is private, indeed, some say secret.  What is the difference between illegally obtaining it - that is, without the owners permission - and obtaining access to an individual's phone records or transcripts of conversations?

Then, what is the position of those that publish this data?  How is that different from those that published stories, that were gained from phone hacking, about the sexual antics of minor celebrities, . 

What would happen to both, in the Royal Charter era? 

Those on the Left, who have pilloried The Sun, The Mail and such, need to understand that investigative journalism is at risk from the Royal Charter and they need to join others and vigorously oppose the tri-partite 'stitch-up' of our free press. 

And before I am accused of hypocrisy, I draw a very thick line between the puerile rubbish about the 'celebs' and the consequences of exposing their self-serving lies and that of the diplomatic and military communications that were 'exposed' by Assange and Wikileaks.  The latter put lives at risk, the former, maybe a career (though that would be offset by the subsequent book deal).

By the way - don't be surprised if the 'workers daily' AKA the Daily Mirror ends getting caught-up in the phone hacking scandal.  They are not exactly novices in the field of news manipulation - ask Piers Morgan!

Does anyone know if the Assange bail providers have paid-up?