Editing Neil Hamilton (politician) (section)

====Witness allegations====
In the immediate aftermath of the BBC settlement, allegations of witness intimidation abounded. A BBC internal memorandum to the Board of Management claimed some 17 witnesses had been intimidated into changing their testimony.<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1986/oct/31/hamilton-and-howarth-v-british#S6CV0103P0_19861031_CWA_38 Hamilton and Howarth v. British Broadcasting Corporation], ''Hansard'', HC Deb 31 October 1986 vol 103 c272W.</ref> A BBC source stated:<blockquote> "Nearly all the defence witnesses have had a quiet word in their ears. Only two or three people connected with Tory politics who would have given vital evidence for us now stick to their testimony. Some previously expressed disgust at incidents they had witnessed. Now they claim to have witnessed nothing."<ref>John Merritt, "Tories Nobble BBC Claim", ''The Daily Mirror'', 20 October 1986<br />Anne Spackman, "New evidence emerges in BBC Libel Case", ''The Independent'', 25 October 1986.</ref></blockquote>

Howarth and Hamilton said the case against Pedley would not be dropped and Pedley said he would not be joining the BBC decision. The ''Financial Times'' reported, "A solicitor for Mr Hamilton and Mr Howarth said later that their linked libel action against Mr Philip Pedley... would continue. Mr Pedley indicated that he intends to continue the case."<ref>David Thomas, Raymond Hughes and Michael Cassall, "MP urges resignations at BBC after libel settlement", ''Financial Times'', 22 October 1986.</ref>

The media began to focus on the remaining unsettled case. ''The Guardian'' reported that "The spotlight had swivelled to Phil Pedley, the Tory defendant who remained adamant he would fight on alone, backed by independent funds and, he claims, a wide range of Conservative supporters."<ref>"Fighting on alone", ''The Guardian'', 22 October 1986.</ref> Pedley did not name the supporters but the then chairman of the Young Conservatives, [[Richard Fuller (Bedford MP)|Richard Fuller]], pledged financial support to the fight and in a meeting with [[Jeffrey Archer]], Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Fuller resisted Archer's demand to back down.<ref>David Sapsted, "MP's get damages", ''The Times'', 20 October 1986<br />Dennis Barker and Peter Fiddick, "Young Tory in Archer Meeting", ''The Guardian'', 21 October 1986.</ref>

Labour accused Conservative Central Office of organising a cover-up over claims that Hamilton had given a Nazi salute on a visit to Berlin and sought to question the then party chairman, [[Norman Tebbit]].<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1986/oct/21/engagements#S6CV0102P0_19861021_HOC_165 PMQs], ''Hansard'', HC Deb, 21 October 1986 vol 102 cc940-6<br />Ivor Owen, "Labour calls for statement on alleged libel case interference", ''Financial Times'', 22 October 1986<br />John Pienaar, "Tebbit leaning on Tories over BBC", ''The Independent'', 22 October 1986.</ref> [[Dale Campbell-Savours]] claimed he had evidence in the form of a letter from Pedley to the former Party Chairman, [[John Selwyn Gummer]], demonstrating Conservative Central Office (CCO) had contacted witnesses.<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1986/oct/23/bbc-court-case#S6CV0102P0_19861023_HOC_283 BBC (Court Case)], ''Hansard'', HC Deb 23 October 1986 vol 102 cc1307-10.</ref> Tebbit confirmed one witness had been in touch with CCO. "I am aware that one potential witness sought advice from Central Office but was told that no advice could be given..." Tebbit accused Campbell-Savours of making his accusations behind the cloak of parliamentary privilege and left the chamber to make his reply.<blockquote> "My staff are appalled and disgusted. They are filled with contempt for a man who can make these sort of accusations of a criminal offence against a member of staff, who, Mr Campbell-Savours knows damn well, is not guilty of it."<ref>Anthony Bevins, "Top Tory named in BBC Row", ''The Independent'', 24 October 1986<br />Alan Travis, "Labour accuses Tories of Libel Pressure", ''The Guardian'', 24 October 1986.</ref></blockquote>

On 25 October, the press reported new evidence of inappropriate witness contact.<ref>Anne Spackman, "New Evidence emerges in BBC libel case", ''The Independent'', 25 October 1986.</ref> Later that day, Hamilton announced that he was dropping the action against Pedley. However, Pedley reaffirmed that he "had no intention of withdrawing from the case."<ref>David Hencke, "MP drops Young Tory libel action", ''The Guardian'', 27 October 1986.</ref> Hamilton's announcement failed to quell demands for an enquiry and Campbell-Savours denounced Tebbit's tactic of making his statements outside the House of Commons chamber, accusing him of "a deliberate ploy to avoid placing himself in contempt by misleading the House in a personal statement". He invited Tebbit to make a statement in the House.<blockquote>"If he refuses, then the country will know that a conspiracy of silence is being engineered by senior figures to hide the truth."<ref>Anthony Bevans, "Tebbit challenged to make statement on BBC case", ''The Independent'', 28 October 1986<br />- Alan Travis, "Tory Squeeze Claim", ''The Guardian'', 28 October 1986.</ref> </blockquote>More information appeared in the press alleging witness interference, including the Hogan Memorandum, the internal BBC document listing the witnesses who had changed their account.<ref>Alan Travis, "Tory Squeeze claim", ''The Guardian'', 28 October 1986.</ref> ''The Independent'' revealed the existence of a taped conversation of a Tory witness being "shaken rigid" by Central Office's suggestion that the Berlin events had not happened and "no other witness would substantiate or give evidence about those alleged incidents" and the witness was told no other witness would back his account. The witness said, "this was like a bad dream."<ref>Anne Spackman and Anthony Bevins, "BBC witness shaken rigid", ''The Independent'', 29 October 1986.</ref>

Campbell-Savours claimed this was proof of BBC nobbling and announced that he was sending his evidence to Sir [[Michael Havers]], the Attorney General.<ref>[[James Naughtie]], "MP claims tape proof of BBC nobbling", ''The Guardian'', 5 November 1986.</ref> In the Commons, Campbell-Savours stated:<blockquote> "Central Office set about an elaborate attempt to interfere directly with potential witnesses. Attempts were made to manage and rig statements by Mr. David Mitchell. I repeat what I have said previously, but additionally I am able to say today that there is a tape in existence that confirms the nature of the conspiracy to hide the truth, and which identifies persons. Today I have sent a transcript of that tape to the Attorney-General. I have to inform you, Mr. Speaker, that it is but one of two tapes. I await a transcript of the second tape."<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1986/nov/04/bbc-libel-action BBC Libel Action], ''Hansard'', 4 November 1986.</ref></blockquote>