• Dinsmore was convicted of offences under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act for publishing a pixelated photograph of a sexual abuse victim without consent.
• He held editorial roles on The Sun when the tabloid was hiring private investigators who were involved in industrial-scale unlawful information gathering.
• An historic admission made NGN earlier this year in January after the ground-breaking High Court settlement with Prince Harry and ex-Labour Minister Lord Tom Watson.

Appointment with Starmer's approval "A Dangerous Misjudgment and Insult to the Public"

Hacked Off has today condemned the appointment - made with the approval of the Prime Minister - of former Sun editor David Dinsmore to one of the most senior communications roles in government, calling the move a “serious error of judgment” and a “dangerous precedent for democracy.”

Dinsmore holds a conviction under the Sexual Offences (amendment) Act for publishing a pixelated photograph of a sexual abuse victim without consent - an appalling lapse in editorial judgment that breached fundamental standards of media ethics.

Dinsmore was editor of the Scottish Sun in November 2006, when the publisher ran a deeply intrusive story about Gordon Brown’s family.

In addition to his conviction, Dinsmore built his career on the objectification and exploitation of women in his role as editor of The Sun, defending the publication of topless images on Page 3 as “what readers wanted.” This editorial direction reflected and reinforced a media culture long discredited by the public, campaigners, and many within journalism itself.

Under his leadership, The Sun and The Times - both owned by News UK - continued to issue denials over their involvement in the phone hacking scandal. Ultimately, The Sun was exposed as having commissioned illegal acts and was forced to apologise after a claim from Prince Harry and Lord Watson was settled earlier this year.  Neither publishers have joined an independent regulator.

Dinsmore presided over a culture that actively resisted accountability, misled the public, and failed to uphold even the most basic ethical standards of journalism.

In 2023, he was forced to resign from the board of trustees at Parkrun after widespread backlash. A public petition condemned his appointment as “a serious misjudgment and an affront to volunteers and ordinary runners across the UK.” Campaigners again cited his conviction and the lack of proper due diligence.

Despite this public outcry, Dinsmore has now been appointed to a top civil service role - one that demands the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and public confidence.

This appointment continues the damaging ‘revolving door’ trend of senior News UK figures moving into government without scrutiny. Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson served as an advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron, and was later imprisoned for his role in the phone hacking scandal.

To place someone with this record at the heart of government communications is a betrayal of public trust and an insult to those who have suffered at the hands of unethical journalism -including the victims of Hillsborough, who were smeared under the watch of the same publishing empire.

This appointment is a stain on his government’s commitment to integrity and democratic accountability, and must be reversed.

Sign our petition now:

https://www.hackedoff.org/campaign-actions/no-taxpayer-funded-job-for-ex-sun-editor

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