MAIL COMMENT: Morality, free speech and a brave cleric

Praise be to the former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. With his ringing declaration on the damage done by the Max Mosley affair, he shows far more wisdom and common sense on privacy than can be found in anything the courts have said.
 
Writing in the News of the World - which has been ordered to pay Mosley a record £60,000 for claiming he indulged in a 'sick Nazi orgy' - Lord Carey rightly warns that the case sets a dangerous precedent.

Parliament has never agreed to a privacy law. Yet under the banner of human rights, Mr Justice Eady - who presides in almost all such cases - is without any democratic mandate creating a right to privacy that makes it harder for newspapers to investigate wrongdoing.

Equally importantly, as Lord Carey points out, Mosley's victory - won in spite of his sickening sadomasochistic acts with five prostitutes - harms public morality.

'Unspeakable and indecent behaviour, whether in public or in private, is no longer significant under this ruling,'' he says.

In the past, a public figure has known that scandalous and immoral behaviour carries serious consequences for his or her reputation and job. Today, it is possible to have your cake and eat it.

'A case can be clearly made for a direct link between private behaviour and public conduct.

'If a politician, a judge, a bishop or any public figure cannot keep their promises to a wife, husband etc, how can they be trusted to honour pledges to people they serve?'

Indeed. In effect, Mr Justice Eady's decision means the law is now morally neutral. No wonder the rich and powerful now think they can get away with anything.

Matters may become worse. Mosley threatens to sue European newspapers over their reporting of his antics. Given the Draconian privacy laws in countries such as France and the perverse influence of human rights legislation everywhere, he could win huge damages.
 
That is why we make no apology for returning to this subject, even at the risk of being accused of special pleading.

A Mosley triumph in Europe would be felt throughout our public life. Our courts would become even more hostile to the public's right to know. Free journalism would suffer further. Only the grubby, crooked and corrupt would benefit.
 
George Carey has done a public service by speaking out for decent values. What a pity the rest of the Church of England is too busy gazing at its own navel to follow his example.

For the millions dreading much higher heating bills this winter, there will be delight at the all-party call for a windfall tax on the big energy companies.

In a scathing report, the Commons Business Select Committee points out that power producers profited hugely from an EU scheme to cut carbon emissions and can well afford a tax that would help customers pay their bills.

Who could disagree? When firms such as EDF have announced a 22 per cent rise in gas prices, with others set to follow, customers have every right to feel ripped off.

But while these companies certainly deserve their comeuppance, isn't the Government's record equally dire?

Ministers should have insisted on breaking the wholly artificial link between gas and oil prices, which means much higher gas bills. They could have built more gas storage facilities to stock up against tougher times. But they failed.

Meanwhile our energy strategy is in such a shambles, with power stations closing and replacements delayed, that the lights may start to go out. Windfall taxes offer short-term relief, but doesn't Britain need - and deserve - much better planning?