SIR Fred Goodwin and other public figures will suffer "the deathof 1000 knives" as politicians and the internet expose the allegeddalliances kept secret by super-injunctions.
MP John Hemming, who first revealed details of the court orderSir Fred obtained to prevent details of an alleged affair with asenior colleague appearing in the press, warned that MPs and peerswill keep up the pressure against "this culture of secrecy and coverup [that] is acting to undermine democracy and the rule of law".
Details of the supposedly secret story - and the identity of thewoman allegedly involved - have appeared on Twitter and Facebook.
It came as Sir Fred's gagging order was partially lifted by HighCourt judge Mr Justice Tugendhat in London yesterday - just hoursafter Lord Stoneham used parliamentary privilege in the House ofLords to reveal the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executiveused the super-injunction to hide an "alleged relationship" with asenior colleague.
The LibDem peer defended his intervention as in the interests oftaxpayers who had bailed out RBS to the tune of billions of poundsin 2008.
Mr Hemming, who raised the issue in March in the Commons, said:"Holders of secrecy injunctions face the death of 1000 knives asthey get a burst of additional attention to the information theywish to keep secret as it is gradually revealed by members ofparliament".
Despite the partial lifting, Mr Justice Tugendhat, sitting inLondon, kept a ban on publication of details of the alleged affairand the name of the woman said to be involved.
Lord Stoneham said that he was not interested in revealing"titillating stories about celebrities". He had asked in the Lords:"Every taxpayer has a direct public interest in the events leadingup to the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland, so how can it beright for a super-injunction to hide the alleged relationshipbetween Sir Fred Goodwin and a senior colleague?"
But Sir Fred's case was different, he said, adding: "I don'tthink rich people should be able to protect their privacy when thereare issues of public interest at heart."
His party colleagues have called for the financial watchdog, theFinancial Services Authority, to view the allegations as part of itsinvestigation into corporate governance at RBS.
Sir Fred, who stepped down as head of the bank after the bankingcrisis, had also provoked an outcry after it was revealed he wouldstill receive a pension worth almost pound(s)700,000.
Yesterday, Sir Fred's lawyer, Hugh Tomlinson, QC, did not opposethe application for lawyers on behalf of a newspaper to reveal hisidentity at the High Court in London.
The partial lifting of the order came as UK ministers ruled outWestminster creating its own privacy law, ahead of a long-awaitedreport into super-injunctions published today.
A spate of the orders in recent months has led to warnings thatthe courts are creating their own privacy law and offeringprotection to the rich few who can afford it.
Some MPs have suggested that Parliament should intervene and setits own rules for what should and should not be private.
Downing Street said that today's report would be consideredcarefully before the Government decided what action, if any, totake.
However, it is understood that Jeremy Hunt, the CultureSecretary, and Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, have ruled outsuch a privacy law, preferring instead to clarify or amend existingrules on freedom of expression.
Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said theGovernment would consider today's publication of a report on theissue by the Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury beforedeciding how to proceed.
Sir Fred was nowhere to be seen at his two homes in Edinburghyesterday. His imposing, stone-built mansion set in extensivegrounds in the Grange area appeared deserted.
The property, was almost devoid of furniture and only a vintagecar was parked outside.
Sir Fred had moved out of his Grange home, which is easilyaccessible to the public, after it was attacked by vandals.
However, his new home, a secluded pound(s)3 million mansion inthe Colinton area of the city, still has the appearance of abuilding site. The property is guarded by its own gate and CCTVcamera system as well as another set of gates across the privateroad leading to the home. Unusually, yesterday both gates were open,although there was no sign of Sir Fred.
His car sat in front of the property, but as at his Grange home,nobody answered the door.
In Fife, there was no sign of the woman with whom he allegedlyhad the affair at her large detached family home in a cul-de-sac.
A schoolboy who answered the door to the property indicated thatshe was not in.
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