PCC upholds Mensch’s complaint against New Statesman

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has upheld the complaints of Conservative MP Louise Mensch about three articles in the left-wing magazine, New Statesman. The three articles, published between September 2010 and June 2011, implied that Mensch identified closely with US politician Sarah Palin and even described her as a “cheerleader” for the controversial Republican. Mensch complained that the first article, which was published by the New Statesman following an interview with the Conservative MP, claimed that she “loved Palin power” whilst the third article described Mensch as a “keen admirer” of Palin.
The PCC ruled on Tuesday that the magazine had misrepresented Mensch’s views on Palin, meaning that the publication was in breach of the commission's rules on accuracy. The New Statesman has declared that a correction was not needed on the articles, and instead the magazine has agreed to publish a “right of reply” by Mensch later this week.