Following the Daily Mail’s article calling Ralph Miliband, Ed Miliband’s father, a man that “hated Britain”, the Mail on Sunday sent a reporter to the private funeral service of Ed Miliband’s uncle, Professor Harry Keen, to provoke reactions from the family. This time, however, it appears even the Mail has understood it had gone too far, encroaching into what many would call harassment.
Editor Geordie Greig’s apology comes after Ed Miliband wrote to the owner of the newspaper group, Lord Rothermere, asking him to “reflect on the culture of your newspapers”. Greig claims the reporter was sent without his knowledge, and that two reporters have been suspended over the incident while the paper launches an investigation, passing the buck to low level employees rather than addressing the culture within the newspaper that resulted in the reporters actions.
The Daily Mail has come under heavy criticism from across the political spectrum, with Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg the latest politician to stand up and call the Mail’s actions “out of order”.
This newspaper has previously written about the vitriolic hatred of the newspaper and its editors, and the hypocrisy it spouts under the guise of “morality”. It appears the paper may finally have overstepped the mark by such a margin that politicians are willing to speak out no matter the political power of the newspaper.