May 22, 2022	INDEX
Sue Gray, the person got in to write a report on the breaking of lockdown regulations at 10 Downing Street, took time off to run a pub in Northern Ireland during the troubles. These were known as listening posts. Both MI5 and MI6 operated in Northern Ireland so it is not clear which service she joined. However, the latest news that her report is running into trouble because of potential threats of defamation actions reveals that it must have been MI5. This is because when I studied journalistic law we were told that reports like this carried qualified privilege: this means you can say what you like so long as no malice is involved. Malice doesn't mean what you think it means: it also embraces sloppiness and incompetence. So the only way an action could possibly happen is if the report was badly written. That seems to suggest Ms Gray works for MI5, the sloppy service.
INDEX	May 22, 2022 Jonathan Brind