Culture Secretary John Whittingdale caught in prostitution scandal | Byline.com

Last Updated: April 2, 2016By

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Has Culture secretary John Wittingdale exposed himself to blackmail by members of the mainstream media over a relationship with a prostitute?

This Writer notes that the BBC does not appear to be involved in any coercion of the minister (although this is an ongoing story, according to Byline).

Considering the precariousness of its current position, this is either a principled position, a foolhardy mistake, or more evidence that the Corporation is a Tory poodle. You decide.

John Whittingdale, now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was involved in a long relationship between at least November 2013 and January 2015 with Olivia King, a well known escort who specializes in domination and sado-masochistic practices. It is unknown whether the relationship continues.

During this period, Whittingdale was accompanied by her at locations including the MTV Awards in Amsterdam in November 2013, the SportBall, attended by Kate Middleton, also in December 2013 and a New Years Eve party at the House of Commons in 2014/15.

During this period, his movements and private conversations with her were well known by the tabloid press.

As Culture Secretary, Whittingdale’s brief includes press regulation, the BBC Charter and OfCom, including the implementation of press regulation based on recommendations from the Leveson report.

Whittingdale’s relationship has been an open secret in Westminster and Fleet Street circles, and major tabloid and broadsheet papers including the Mail on Sunday and The Independent have undertaken extensive investigations and written stories, only to have the stories abandoned at the last minute. The Editor of the Independent, Amol Rajan decided in Octotber that he had made the decision to not run the story on ‘editorial grounds’.

However, the previous day, Rajan had met with Whittingdale and Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre at the Society of Editors Conference in October 2015. When he delivered the keynote address, he stated that he was minded not to implement a major recommendation of the Leveson inquiry and passed by Parliament as part of the Courts and Crimes Act.

Source: Culture Secretary John Whittingdale caught in prostitution scandal

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13 Comments

  1. Christine Cullen April 2, 2016 at 2:19 pm - Reply

    He should resign if he has been using covert bribery for newspapers not to report. With power comes responsibility. It shouldn’t come with advantage taking.

    • Mike Sivier April 2, 2016 at 2:36 pm - Reply

      I thought the newspapers were in a position to stop him implementing policies that disadvantaged them, rather than what you suggest. But then, the two are not mutually exclusive.

      • Christine Cullen April 2, 2016 at 4:45 pm - Reply

        I see what you mean. He is holding Leveson in their faces and they are holding information on him presumably.

        • Mike Sivier April 4, 2016 at 12:59 pm - Reply

          They were holding information on his relationship which meant they could demand that he drop certain Leveson recommendations.

  2. Colin Glazebrook April 2, 2016 at 2:28 pm - Reply

    What’s the problem, I thought domination and sado-masochism was Tory culture?

  3. NMac April 2, 2016 at 2:54 pm - Reply

    Shades here of the “Profumo” scandal of the early 1960s. Yet another example of false Tory morals and their never-ending hypocrisy.

  4. mohandeer April 2, 2016 at 4:07 pm - Reply

    Yet another case of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, wink,wink, nudge, nudge and a knowing nod.

  5. John April 2, 2016 at 4:42 pm - Reply

    I suppose it might take the heat off Gideon for a short while (I think he’s gonna have enough on his plate at the moment, don’t you?) !

  6. Ri April 2, 2016 at 5:11 pm - Reply

    Did it affect his ability to perform the job he is paid to do? If the answer is no. I need more information on way this is a problem

    • Mike Sivier April 4, 2016 at 12:58 pm - Reply

      It has laid him open to blackmail by bosses of the news media that knew of his relationship.

  7. shawn April 2, 2016 at 6:57 pm - Reply

    Well it’s not with a pig.
    Seriously from you have written about newspaper stories being pulled and parliamentary recommendations not being implemented, a resignation would miss the point. Were parliament’s recommendations not implemented because he was persuaded not to do so by the weight of evidence contained within newspapers’ investigations and not produced by the Leveson Report.

  8. Bill Chapman April 3, 2016 at 9:24 am - Reply

    This gentleman should resign quietly.

  9. mrmarcpc April 4, 2016 at 1:44 pm - Reply

    Suppose it makes a change from it being young boys!

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