Dacre wacks judge but praises Brown

Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre has hit out at a judge but praised Gordon Brown.
Dacre, speaking at the Society of Editors' conference in Bristol tonight, launched a scathing attack on Mr Justice Eady whom he accused of making "arrogant and amoral" decisions that shelter "the crooks, the liars, the cheats, the rich and the corrupt".
He accused Eady of bringing in a privacy law "by the back door" by his judgment in the case over Formula One president Max Mosley and the News of the World, which revealed he paid women to beat him.
Mr Justice Eady, claimed Dacre, "effectively ruled that it was perfectly acceptable for the multi-millionaire head of a multi-billion sport that is followed by countless young people to pay five women £2,500 to take part in acts of unimaginable sexual depravity with him."
But he also said that Prime Minister Gordon Brown should "be acknowledged as a great friend of press freedom". Dacre said Brown had listened to complaints over proposed restrictions on freedom of information, possible jail sentences on data protection laws for journalists and the impact of "no win, no fee" libel agreements. Dacre said a ceiling on "no win, no fee" agreement charges may be announced soon by the Lord Chancellor Jack Straw.
He accused media pundits on small circulation papers (i.e. The Guardian) of "poisoning the well" by constantly criticising the mass market newspapers. Dacre predicted that at least two national dailies and two Sundays could change hands or go to the wall in the economic downturn.