10 Informed DM 2023 Members of Honour 2023


Chris Mullin, John Lister and Chris Wheal were announced as Members of Honour and delegates watched a video of colleagues who shared memories


and recounted the achievements of the three men NUJ


It was aſter the first DM session that delegates were able to toast the three Members of Honour while watching the video, introduced by NUJ president Pierre Vicary. Chris Mullin is a former Labour Party minister, renowned political diarist of the Tony Blair years and investigative journalist responsible for securing the release of the Birmingham Six. Last year, together with the NUJ, he saw off an atempt by West Midlands Police to reveal his source. In her report to conference, Michelle Stanistreet described standing outside the Old Bailey with Chris and his lawyers to celebrate winning his right not to hand over material used in his reports which led to the release of the six Irishmen wrongly imprisoned for the 1974 bombs set off in two pubs in Birmingham killing 21 people and injuring many more. Gareth Peirce, a former journalist, now a solicitor and human rights activist, worked with him on the Birmingham Six case. “How lucky those six men were,” she said. “And what a comrade he is.” She praised him as a brilliant journalist and writer, and his skills as politician. Chris Frost, chair of the NUJ’s Ethics Council, said Chris Mullin had been a highly ethical journalist making sure he got good sources and was accurate and truthful – and that he protected his sources in one of the most important stories of our times. Delegates at DM would have spoted Dr John Lister siting on the platform, in his 24-year role on the NUJ’s Standing Orders Commitee (SOC) which springs into action in the run up to DM to ensure motions are in order and receive a full and fair debate. His day job is as a


Dr John Lister Chris Wheal


senior lecturer in journalism and health journalism at Coventry University and he is a founder member of Keep Our NHS Public campaign. To mark the 60th anniversary of the National Health Service he wrote the hugely respected Te NHS Aſter 60: for Patients or Profits? His SOC colleague Pauline Norris recalls first meeting him as a Brian May lookalike with a curly mop of hair. She praised his crossword puzzle mind and good sense of humour. Anna Wagstaff spoke of his contribution to Oxford branch – providing a cheerful and steady hand during the tough times including Wapping and the three-year strike at Robert Maxwell’s Pergamon Press. David recalled the “highest point” and the greatest challenge of his work on SOC as puting on the successful DM 2021 as an online event during the pandemic: “It went according to plan, we finished the agenda, nobody died, so we were pleased with that,” he said. Chris Wheal is an award-winning


Michelle Stanistreet and Chris Mullin Watch the video here


freelance journalist and trainer. Spurred by his experience following a car accident, he was determined to raise funds to help journalists in need and created a charity that eventually became NUJ Extra. Te charity came into its own under his stewardship during the pandemic, offering a lifeline to members in financial difficulties aſter losing their jobs or shiſts because of lockdowns, cuts or ill-health. Chris was also a member of the board of the Broadcast Journalism Training Council. Broadcaster Ushma Rose gave an emotional testimony to the huge help Chris and the charity gave her in a time of need. “He helped me and my family get our lives back,” she said.


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