‘Mail’ rejects P.M.’s charge

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 8

‘Mail’ rejects P.M.’s charge

International

NZPA-Reuter London The mass-selling “Daily Mail” has rejected a charge by the British Prime Minister (Mr James Callaghan) that a desire to smear his Labour Government lay behind the paper’s allegations of bribe-paying abroad by the State-owned British Leyland motor firm. In a message to his readers, the “Mail's” editor (Mr David English) apologised for publishing last week a letter purporting to have! been written by Lord Ryder, who heads the Government’s National Enterprise Board. The “Mail” later admitted that the letter was a forgery.

The letter was a key feature of the “Mail” allegations, which the company had denied, of large-scale bribery overseas to win orders.

A British Leyland executive, Graham Barton, and his Turkish-born wife, Fatima, are in custody charged with forging the letter. Mr Vere Harmsworth, chairman of the group which owns the newspaper, said in a statement that he had rejected the resignation of Mr English. He said he rejected utterly Mr Callaghan's allegation of vindictiveness and he spoke of “this deplorable but honest mistake.”

Mr English wrote in the “Daily Mail” yesterday that it had been a campaigning newspaper under successive Governments. “Occasionally it is misled and gets things wrong, but it is not dishonest,” he wrote.

“It does not set out deliberately to smear people.” In Parliament, on Tuesday Mr Callaghan had accused Mr English of “trying to smear the Labour Government and bring down a nationalised industry.” He accused the “Mail” of “a contemptible display of political spite.” Lord Ryder, whose board holds the 95 per cent Government stake in British Leyland, is seeking substantial damages over the publication of the letter. The Press Council, which acts as a watchdog on the press but has no legal powers, has announced that it is launching an inquiry into the “Mail” stories.

Leyland chiefs are also carrying out their own inquiry, and they have denied that any payments which may have been made have been illegal under British law.