Was Lord Bell really paid £500,000 to keep the Maddie story front page news?

[Mr Gray]

Why? Its of no importance to me, though it seems to be to some.

It was Stephen who started the thread so it is important to him....There are several reasons why I would like to know the answer...the first being how much can we trust what we read...now that is a very important question

[Alice Purjorick]

I have no idea if Enid O'Dowd is practicing or not. If you don't like her analysis of Madeleine's Fund accounts please feel free to produce your own. The complete printouts of them as filed at Companies House can be found by following my link provided earlier. If you don't believe that Owen Jones quoted Lord Bell correctly, Lord Bell can be contacted at the House of Lords - ask him. If you don't do any reading or research how can you have an opinion I wonder?

Just for the record I'm not a 'McCann basher' or a McCann supporter. I have an interest in the case and I like debate. I think debate is only meaningful if it is based on verifiable sources. I do my best to find sources for what I say and try not to rely on my own personal opinions.

You'll learn  . The perception from the supporters side is "if you ain't with us you're agin us". Trying to say anything different is like plaiting fog.

[Mr Gray]

You'll learn  . The perception from the supporters side is "if you ain't with us you're agin us". Trying to say anything different is like plaiting fog.

you were obviously asleep when I posted my gracious post to G

[Alice Purjorick]

you were obviously asleep when I posted my gracious post to G

Not at all. It was atypical, pleasant gesture though it was.
One swallow does not a summer make or some such.

[Anna]

Back on Topic…………………….

When was this supposed year, that the McCanns used Bell Pottinger?

Bell Pottinger’s man was only in PDL for 10 days, as crisis adviser and then came,  Sheree Dodd, a former spokeswoman for the Government, and former treasury special advisor Justine McGuinness and C Mitchell, who eventually worked full time for McCanns

--------------------------------

14/09/2007
McCann's hire PR agency

Kate and Gerry McCann have hired a new PR agency to help manage an increasingly sceptical media. Hanover, the agency owned by John Major's former press secretary Charles Lewington have been given the brief.

The McCanns are currently fighting to clear their name after allegations were allegedly made by the Portugese police regarding the disappearance of their missing four-year-old daughter.

The poor treatment of the MacCann's in the press is apparently something Lewington, managing director of Hanover, feels very strongly about and wants to help.
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post225058.html#p225058


--------------------------------------------------------

This article will also examine aspects of the background of Ian Horrocks, the ex-detective, hailed as one of Britain’s foremost investigators,
who was sent out to the Algarve by Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper in February 2012 and delivered reports to the Sun and SKY NEWS backing the McCanns’ abduction claims and heavily criticising the Portuguese police.

http://whathappenedtomadeleinemccann.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-biography-of-hamish-campbell-man_28.html

--------------------------------------

(Lord King is a strong ally of Rupert Murdoch. Is there a possibility, that, the above is where the press coverage came from for a year?)  …re: £500,000)

A message has been sent to Lord Bell, so hopefully we will know the truth soon. However I don't think it is important really, because campaign, press coverage has to be paid for by someone

[Brietta]

Back on Topic…………………….

When was this supposed year, that the McCanns used Bell Pottinger?

Bell Pottinger’s man was only in PDL for 10 days, as crisis adviser and then came,  Sheree Dodd, a former spokeswoman for the Government, and former treasury special advisor Justine McGuinness and C Mitchell, who eventually worked full time for McCanns

--------------------------------

14/09/2007
McCann's hire PR agency

Kate and Gerry McCann have hired a new PR agency to help manage an increasingly sceptical media. Hanover, the agency owned by John Major's former press secretary Charles Lewington have been given the brief.

The McCanns are currently fighting to clear their name after allegations were allegedly made by the Portugese police regarding the disappearance of their missing four-year-old daughter.

The poor treatment of the MacCann's in the press is apparently something Lewington, managing director of Hanover, feels very strongly about and wants to help.
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post225058.html#p225058


--------------------------------------------------------

This article will also examine aspects of the background of Ian Horrocks, the ex-detective, hailed as one of Britain’s foremost investigators,
who was sent out to the Algarve by Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper in February 2012 and delivered reports to the Sun and SKY NEWS backing the McCanns’ abduction claims and heavily criticising the Portuguese police.

http://whathappenedtomadeleinemccann.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-biography-of-hamish-campbell-man_28.html

--------------------------------------

(Lord King is a strong ally of Rupert Murdoch. Is there a possibility, that, the above is where the press coverage came from for a year?)  …re: £500,000)

A message has been sent to Lord Bell, so hopefully we will know the truth soon. However I don't think it is important really, because campaign, press coverage has to be paid for by someone

Thanks for that research Anna.

I concur with what you have stated in (i).  £500,000 is a lot of money for us but as far as the Murdoch empire is concerned it is small change and I think it may be an explanation.
Just need to wait and see if Lord Bell enlightens us.
The McCanns have been scrutinised to such an extent I think any payment to anyone for that amount from the fund would have been noted before now.

Interesting that the remit of Operation Grange was in the public domain as a result of a freedom of information request (I knew that, but so much get lost in the mine of information).  I don't see how making sure possible perpetrators being forewarned so early in proceedings is helpful to Madeleine's case; I confess myself at a loss as to why people think their prejudices are more important than a police investigation into a missing child.

[G-Unit]

You'll learn  . The perception from the supporters side is "if you ain't with us you're agin us". Trying to say anything different is like plaiting fog.

I'm reading posts which seem to be saying 'so and so is true because I say so'. I'd heard that some people who whole-heartedly support the McCanns have no factual basis for their views, tending to rely on 'if I say it often enough it will be true', but it still surprised me.

[Brietta]

I'm reading posts which seem to be saying 'so and so is true because I say so'. I'd heard that some people who whole-heartedly support the McCanns have no factual basis for their views, tending to rely on 'if I say it often enough it will be true', but it still surprised me.

That is an interesting post.  Sometimes when stating the obvious such as "Madeleine McCann is missing" or "Goncalo Amaral made many television appearances to discuss her disappearance" cites aren't really necessary.

No doubt you will also have become familiar with many of Stephen's contributions, which I wouldn't really class as being particularly McCann friendly.

It will be even more pertinent to the evenness of the debate if you would kindly do what you appear to be accusing ... "some people who whole-heartedly support the McCanns " of and provide cites to examples of ..." 'if I say it often enough it will be true' "

You have asked me for a cite to "prove" the window to Madeleine's bedroom was open and the shutter raised - and two when you have complained to a poster here don't appear to support your argument unless Faithlilly is a master of disguise and subterfuge.

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?board=18.0
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6063.msg225002#msg225002

The accusation that some posters "have no factual basis for their views" is thought provoking; if it is a sincerely held belief ... oh dear ... it is a revealing one which tends to support my opinion that this particular thread might very well have been set up to do a bit of McCann bashing.

However ... back to the nitty gritty ... how about a few cites from you in support of your contentions?

[G-Unit]

That is an interesting post.  Sometimes when stating the obvious such as "Madeleine McCann is missing" or "Goncalo Amaral made many television appearances to discuss her disappearance" cites aren't really necessary.

No doubt you will also have become familiar with many of Stephen's contributions, which I wouldn't really class as being particularly McCann friendly.

It will be even more pertinent to the evenness of the debate if you would kindly do what you appear to be accusing ... "some people who whole-heartedly support the McCanns " of and provide cites to examples of ..." 'if I say it often enough it will be true' "

You have asked me for a cite to "prove" the window to Madeleine's bedroom was open and the shutter raised - and two when you have complained to a poster here don't appear to support your argument unless Faithlilly is a master of disguise and subterfuge.

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?board=18.0
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6063.msg225002#msg225002

The accusation that some posters "have no factual basis for their views" is thought provoking; if it is a sincerely held belief ... oh dear ... it is a revealing one which tends to support my opinion that this particular thread might very well have been set up to do a bit of McCann bashing.

However ... back to the nitty gritty ... how about a few cites from you in support of your contentions?

I'm pleased you find my post interesting Brietta. Which of my 'contentions' would you like cites for?

[Mr Gray]

I'm pleased you find my post interesting Brietta. Which of my 'contentions' would you like cites for?

Perhaps it would be better if everyone provided cites or accepted that the post was merely opinion

[G-Unit]

Perhaps it would be better if everyone provided cites or accepted that the post was merely opinion

Agreed. There is room for opinion as Brietta said, but if it's posted as if it was fact there's no way of answering it.

[G-Unit]

Thanks for the replies, I had seen the links. I was only using your original quotes as illustrations to a question by Brietta, no criticism meant 

[faithlilly]

Thanks for the replies, I had seen the links. I was only using your original quotes as illustrations to a question by Brietta, no criticism meant 

None taken   

[Robittybob1]

Has the issue of Bell Pottinger been discussed?
4. Government Agents ~ The True Story of Madeleine McCann.
36:00 minutes into the video. https://youtu.be/AdmqpzVblFM?t=2166

[Robittybob1]

Lord Bell, founder of Bell Pottinger quoted in a book written by Owen Jones. He is commenting on the  'Hacked Off' campaign, and he says he doesn't care what the McCanns think. 'They paid me £500,000 to keep them on the front page of every newspaper for one year and that's what we did'.

That is not perfectly clear who paid who.  Is he saying it was the McCanns who paid or was it Mark Warner for Richard D Hall says it was MW who engaged Bell Pottinger?