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The Monster verdict

• Justin Webb
• 13 Mar 08, 07:37 PM GMT

In the matter of : judgement on the behaviour of the Scotsman is handed down by my distinguished colleague Nick Robinson, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Political Editor:

"Would Westminster's rules have allowed what the Scotsman did? You bet. As their reporter says, you can't retrospectively make something 'off the record'. On the other hand, would I expect a Westminster reporter to treat a contact that way? No, because if they did, they'd soon have no contacts. The relationship between a journalist and their sources is not about hard and fast rules. It's about some level of trust based on a shared understanding of the terms of trade. I supect the reporter in this case weighed up the the size of the story (big) plus the likelihood of needing that contact again (nil) against the cost of being accused of breaking the rules (low). I also suspect that most politicians would say: 'If you don't want something reported don't say it or, if you do, make sure you've agreed the rules first.'"

So there. In case David Axelrod is reading, though, I repeat that I would not have used it...

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