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From: Your Name <you@example.com>
To: complaints@pcc.org.uk, dale.farm@btinternet.com
Subject: Letter to Press Complaints Commission in Support of Dale Farm
Press Complaints Commission
Halton House
20/23 Holborn
London EC1N 2JD
We wish to express our deep concern over the Daily Express article headlined Families must sell land for Gypsy Campsites, 17 November 2008, and the editorial Grabbing land to settle Gypsies.
On p5 of the same edition, an aerial photograph was published of Dale Farm at Crays Hill, Essex. The caption was inaccurate and the intention clearly to ferment opposition to what are private properties with planning permission (those without planning permission are the subject of a hearing in the Court of Appeal (4 Dec).
The report and editorial contain inaccurate information, giving a false impression that councils will be compulsorily purchasing gardens and other land for Gypsy and Traveller sites. Both contain misleading information and grossly inaccurate claims.
The PCC Code of Practice Article 1 says, with regard to accuracy:
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.
iii) The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
A. We believe that the headlines Grabbing land to settle Gypsies is outrageous and Families must sell land for Gypsy Campsites infringe this article. So do the following two pieces of text: 'Councils around the country will take similar action to free up land' and 'Why do planners insist on riding roughshod over peoples' feelings and forcing them to sell their own gardens and fields to make way for Gypsies?'
The leader of Epping District Council said on television on 19 November 2008 that the Council had never stated that it would force local residents to sell their land, and there is no evidence at all that any other authorities are about to take such a heavy-handed approach.
On 18 November there was an exchange between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Sadiq Khan) and Eleanor Laing MP, who represents the constituency of Epping Forest. Mrs Laing's comments echoed those of the inaccurate and misleading material in the previous day's Daily Express. The Minister's response further emphasised the inaccuracy of the Daily Express claims.
Extract from Hansard for 18 November:
Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con): The Minister must recognise that no one on the Opposition side of the House objects to reasonable rights being given to Gypsies and Travellers. However, he and his Government are taking away the rights of other people in my constituency. Decent, normal, law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying people are under threat of having the little pieces of land right next to their houses taken away by his Government, by compulsory purchase, to provide sites for Gypsies. What about the rights of the decent, hard-working taxpayers in my constituency?
Mr. Khan: Let me deal with the hon. Lady's first point. Local authorities spend £18 million a year on enforcement action on unauthorised sites. If we can reduce the number of unauthorised sites by encouraging local authorities to provide authorised sites, that will reduce that bill. Secondly, I know from a letter that I have been passed by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright), that the hon. Lady has been involved in a campaign that some would characterise as scaremongering about compulsory purchase orders in her community. There is no truth in the headlines. There is no requirement for local authorities to compulsorily purchase land for Gypsy or Traveller sites. I would ask, caution and counsel hon. Members to use their words carefully and to temper them when it comes to spreading stories that are factually incorrect and misleading.
B. The Daily Express article claims that Epping Forest Council has already identified 123 new pitches. The truth of the matter is that Epping already has 82 authorised pitches. This is clear from figure 9 of its November 2008 Consultation on Options: Development Plan Provision for Gypsies and Travellers in Epping Forest District. The same document shows (figure 15) that it also has six 'tolerated sites', four of which are recommended for a grant of planning permission. Page 4 of the Council's Consultation document makes clear that the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy only calls for an extra 49 pitches, not 123 as the article suggests. Epping Forest Council itself estimates a need for 35 new pitches by 2011.
These claims also infringe article 1 of the PCC (clauses 1 and 3)
C. The Daily Express editorial refers to 'Irish and East European tinkers'. East European Roma are generally settled in housing and are not nomadic caravan dwellers. Furthermore, the term 'tinker' is a derogatory name used to describe Travellers. Wikipedia includes 'Tinker' in a list of ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner. For the purposes of the Wikipedia list, an ethnic slur is a term or word[s] used to insult on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. It equivalent to calling someone a nigger.
These claims infringe article 1 of the PCC(clauses 1 and 3)
D. The Editorial states 'The reality is that many are Irish and East European tinkers, pulling monstrous mobile homes behind gleaming 4x4s and making a good, tax-free living from State handouts and the proceeds of crime'.
This is an appalling and unsubstantiated comment, which clearly has the effect of inciting racial hatred. Many Travellers feel vulnerable and threatened by it. We support the complaint made by Chris Whitwell of Friends Families and Travellers to Sussex Police about this editorial (Crime reference 1112 Sussex Police 17/11/2008). These comments also infringe article 1 of the Press Complaints Commission as well as Article 4 on 'Harassment', which states that 'Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.'
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
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To: complaints@pcc.org.uk, dale.farm@btinternet.com
Subject: Letter to Press Complaints Commission in Support of Dale Farm
Press Complaints Commission
Halton House
20/23 Holborn
London EC1N 2JD
We wish to express our deep concern over the Daily Express article headlined Families must sell land for Gypsy Campsites, 17 November 2008, and the editorial Grabbing land to settle Gypsies.
On p5 of the same edition, an aerial photograph was published of Dale Farm at Crays Hill, Essex. The caption was inaccurate and the intention clearly to ferment opposition to what are private properties with planning permission (those without planning permission are the subject of a hearing in the Court of Appeal (4 Dec).
The report and editorial contain inaccurate information, giving a false impression that councils will be compulsorily purchasing gardens and other land for Gypsy and Traveller sites. Both contain misleading information and grossly inaccurate claims.
The PCC Code of Practice Article 1 says, with regard to accuracy:
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.
iii) The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
A. We believe that the headlines Grabbing land to settle Gypsies is outrageous and Families must sell land for Gypsy Campsites infringe this article. So do the following two pieces of text: 'Councils around the country will take similar action to free up land' and 'Why do planners insist on riding roughshod over peoples' feelings and forcing them to sell their own gardens and fields to make way for Gypsies?'
The leader of Epping District Council said on television on 19 November 2008 that the Council had never stated that it would force local residents to sell their land, and there is no evidence at all that any other authorities are about to take such a heavy-handed approach.
On 18 November there was an exchange between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Sadiq Khan) and Eleanor Laing MP, who represents the constituency of Epping Forest. Mrs Laing's comments echoed those of the inaccurate and misleading material in the previous day's Daily Express. The Minister's response further emphasised the inaccuracy of the Daily Express claims.
Extract from Hansard for 18 November:
Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con): The Minister must recognise that no one on the Opposition side of the House objects to reasonable rights being given to Gypsies and Travellers. However, he and his Government are taking away the rights of other people in my constituency. Decent, normal, law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying people are under threat of having the little pieces of land right next to their houses taken away by his Government, by compulsory purchase, to provide sites for Gypsies. What about the rights of the decent, hard-working taxpayers in my constituency?
Mr. Khan: Let me deal with the hon. Lady's first point. Local authorities spend £18 million a year on enforcement action on unauthorised sites. If we can reduce the number of unauthorised sites by encouraging local authorities to provide authorised sites, that will reduce that bill. Secondly, I know from a letter that I have been passed by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright), that the hon. Lady has been involved in a campaign that some would characterise as scaremongering about compulsory purchase orders in her community. There is no truth in the headlines. There is no requirement for local authorities to compulsorily purchase land for Gypsy or Traveller sites. I would ask, caution and counsel hon. Members to use their words carefully and to temper them when it comes to spreading stories that are factually incorrect and misleading.
B. The Daily Express article claims that Epping Forest Council has already identified 123 new pitches. The truth of the matter is that Epping already has 82 authorised pitches. This is clear from figure 9 of its November 2008 Consultation on Options: Development Plan Provision for Gypsies and Travellers in Epping Forest District. The same document shows (figure 15) that it also has six 'tolerated sites', four of which are recommended for a grant of planning permission. Page 4 of the Council's Consultation document makes clear that the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy only calls for an extra 49 pitches, not 123 as the article suggests. Epping Forest Council itself estimates a need for 35 new pitches by 2011.
These claims also infringe article 1 of the PCC (clauses 1 and 3)
C. The Daily Express editorial refers to 'Irish and East European tinkers'. East European Roma are generally settled in housing and are not nomadic caravan dwellers. Furthermore, the term 'tinker' is a derogatory name used to describe Travellers. Wikipedia includes 'Tinker' in a list of ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner. For the purposes of the Wikipedia list, an ethnic slur is a term or word[s] used to insult on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. It equivalent to calling someone a nigger.
These claims infringe article 1 of the PCC(clauses 1 and 3)
D. The Editorial states 'The reality is that many are Irish and East European tinkers, pulling monstrous mobile homes behind gleaming 4x4s and making a good, tax-free living from State handouts and the proceeds of crime'.
This is an appalling and unsubstantiated comment, which clearly has the effect of inciting racial hatred. Many Travellers feel vulnerable and threatened by it. We support the complaint made by Chris Whitwell of Friends Families and Travellers to Sussex Police about this editorial (Crime reference 1112 Sussex Police 17/11/2008). These comments also infringe article 1 of the Press Complaints Commission as well as Article 4 on 'Harassment', which states that 'Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.'
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
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