Press statement regarding the arrest of Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston

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Press statement from Robert Thomson, Editor of The Times, regarding the arrest of Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston

“The publication of conversations between Martin McGuinness and government figures in The Times on Tuesday 29 April 2003 was in the public interest. While the disclosures will no doubt cause awkwardness within the Government, the Official Secrets Act is not the Official Embarrassments Act, and is hardly designed to keep such important information from public view. There is nothing in what The Times published which could have damaged national security.

It is clearly heavy handed of the police to have raided the home of Liam Clarke, of The Sunday Times, and Kathryn Johnston, the authors of a biography of Mr McGuinness, and to have sought to question David Lister, the Ireland Correspondent of The Times.

The taped conversations reveal the intimacy of Mo Mowlam, when she was Northern Ireland Secretary, and Martin McGuinness, to whom she refers to as ‘babe’. They also highlight the closeness of Jonathan Powell, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, to Mr McGuinness. The very presence of the tapes reveals that MI5 routinely bugged Mr McGuinness, the former Education Minister in Northern Ireland. These are all matters of significant interest to the public.

The transcripts of these conversations have been published in a book, which is already in the public domain. The Times reported these exchanges because it is the recognised duty of the press to be the eyes and ears of the public to whom we report.”

Robert Thomson, Editor, The Times

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