Ex-Sun editor tells Leveson Inquiry: No absolute truth in any newspaper

Former 'Sun' editor Kelvin MacKenzie has told the Leveson Inquiry into that there is “no absolute truth” in newspapers, admitting that “not everything can be correct”.

MacKenzie, editor of 'The Sun' from 1981 to 1994, refuted claims that inaccuracy was rife during his tenure but conceded that “we don’t know what the truth is."

“It is so hard in life, law and the press to get things 100% right,” MacKenzie said. “There is no certainty in journalism as there is no certainty in the legal world. There are time constraints which can lead to mistakes”.

Commenting on the accuracy of contemporaries within the press, MacKenzie asserted that the 'Sun' would have “come very very close to being shut down” if it had made similar mistakes to the Guardian in reporting the Milly Dowler voicemail story incorrectly.

Kelvin MacKenzie rose to become a controversial figure during time at 'The Sun' as he oversaw infamous headlines like "Freddie Starr ate my hamster" and "Gotcha"- the latter referring to the sinking of Argentinian warship Belgrano during the Falklands War. MacKenzie was also blasted for running an article on the Hillsborough stadium tragedy in 1989 in which it was alleged that Liverpool FC fans “picked the pockets” of disaster victims.

Questioned on the £1 million payout made to Elton John over a 'Sun' article that made sexual allegations about the singer, MacKenzie said that News International mogul Rupert Murdoch directly chastised the settlement not because of the money but due to the “shadow that had been cast over the newspaper”.

The former 'Sun' editor recalled “40 minutes of abuse” he received from Murdoch over the libel which “saw me [MacKenzie] out of the door”.

Kelvin Mackenzie also revealed the close relationship he had with politicians during his time at the tabloid, saying that he “didn’t doubt” they wanted a share of his influence. “Twice a year we might see cabinet individuals,” he said.

“I was astonished that a PM would want to meet a tabloid journalist with one GCSE. The purpose was for them to express their views and show what geniuses they are”.

In particular MacKenzie had a regular contact with former PM John Major, commenting that he “was no Thatcher”.