NewsBreakingOnline

Speaking at Lib Dem conference on behalf of Hacked Off campaign, Grant criticises Met police’s attempt to force Guardian journalists to reveal their sources Hugh Grant has accused the Metropolitan police of behaving in a “worrying and deeply mysterious” way after Scotland Yard invoked the Official Secrets Act to demand journalists reveal their sources. In an appearance at the Liberal Democrat conference, the actor warned that police were turning on the “goodies” after Scotland Yard applied for an order under the 1989 act to require the Guardian to identify its sources on phone hacking. Grant, who is speaking at all three party conferences on behalf of the Hacked Off campaign, said: “It is a very worrying and upsetting development. A lot of us victims and campaigners had come to the view that the new police inquiry – [Operation] Weeting under Sue Akers – were good cops. “It was a new investigation. They were embarrassed by the behaviour of their predecessors and colleagues. So for them to suddenly turn on their fellow goodies in this battle is a worrying and deeply mysterious.” The actor met Nick Clegg in Birmingham at lunchtime on Sunday as he began a tour of the three party conferences to ensure that politicians continue to show “balls” on hacking after the establishment of the Leveson enquiry. “Ultimately it is going to be politicians who get the job done, who get the thing fixed,” Grant said. “So I am here with Hacked Off to have a look at the politicians in all three parties and see which of those politicians who appear to have grown balls in July actually still have them and get something done.” “The judgment is yet to be made. They had no choice back in July. The revelations were so shocking to the whole country that they had to talk a good game. Whether or not they will now play a good game really remains to be seen. That is one of the reasons we are going to these conferences – to put pressure on them to make sure they do as they said they’d do.” Grant was critical of the House of Commons culture select committee for its cross-examination of Rupert and James Murdoch. “I am just slightly disappointed in them. I thought their cross-examination was disappointing,” he said. “I am still waiting for their report. Where the hell is that report? What is going on?” Evan Harris, the former Lib Dem MP who speaks for Hacked Off, intervened to tell Grant that the report had been delayed because the committee was demanding the return of James Murdoch. Grant said of his criticisms: “Maybe that is unfair.” The actor launched a scathing attack on the tabloids as he called on quality journalists to get out of the “fucking bath” and disassociate themselves from the tabloids. Challenged by the BBC’s John Pienaar on how he likes to promote his films in the tabloids, Grant said: “That is a great myth propagated by the tabloid industry – the privacy invaders – that people like me need or want or thrive on publicity. It is actually not true. “My business is entirely making films. With good films people go and see them. With bad films they don’t. The fame comes from whether the films are any good or not.” Grant illustrated his point by criticising the model Jordan. “You can be a Big Brother star or Jordan and have an immense amount of publicity – way more than me – and be front to back of Closer. But it won’t get you a big film fee. The two things are totally unrelated. It always slightly saddens me when I see people buying this propaganda because it is simply not true. “It is true there may be the Jordans of this world, the Big Brother contestants, who enjoy their moment in the sunlight. But for the vast majority of people who go into music, acting, film-making – publicity is not what you making your living off. You make your living of being either being good or bad at what you do. “It is a form of conceit, it is a form of arrogance on the part of the tabloids to assume it is they who make or break these people. They are almost entirely irrelevant to it. Anyone who is written about in the parish magazine for the jumble sale where their bottle stall gets a gets a good review feels chuffed. But it doesn’t mean to say it is important for their career.” Grant, who famously posed as a journalist from Horse and Hounds in the film Notting Hill to interview Julia Roberts, said that granting an interview does not give the media a right to pursue a celebrity. “The papers don’t give people privacy for free. It is done as a sort of barter when it is done. If I give an interview to a magazine they get something out of it, I get something out of it. But the deal is over. If I have sold you a pint of milk for 50p you can’t come to me forever after saying you once sold milk, I can help myself to your milk for free. It is patently absurd.” There was a lighter moment when Pienaar asked Grant how he would play David Cameron. “I only ever play one part. Don’t be ridiculous.” Metropolitan police Hugh Grant Liberal Democrat conference 2011 Phone hacking Liberal Democrats Newspapers Police Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk