Press freedom under threat from the Leveson report

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-to-clash.html

David Cameron to duck out of Leveson debate as MPs prepare to clash

David Cameron will duck out of a debate on the Leveson Report today as MPs prepare to clash over press regulation in the aftermath of phone-hacking.

The Prime Minister is likely to be absent from Parliament, amid a split in his party and the Coalition over whether to set up a press watchdog backed by laws.

Mr Cameron is under pressure over his opposition to Lord Justice Leveson's key proposal, as Labour, the Liberal Democrats and some Tories could team up in support of new legislation.

The three major parties are locked in cross-party talks this morning in an effort to find a solution, but Mr Cameron is keeping his distance from both the discussions and the debate in the Commons.

Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, has been taking part in the talks for the Conservatives, along with Simon Hughes from the Lib Dems and Harriet Harman for Labour.

She will also lead the afternoon debate instead of the Prime Minister, as sources said he will probably be in meetings ahead of this week's autumn statement.

There will be no vote on the issue but MPs are expected to carry on setting out their views until 10pm.

Despite opposition to a state-backed regulator, the Prime Minister has agreed to draft new press laws to prove they could threaten freedom of speech.

He has reportedly won back support from some Conservative MPs, including Chris Skidmore, Jackie Doyle-Price and George Freeman, who originally were among a group of more than 40 Tory MPs backing state regulation.

However, last night, it emerged that Labour is drawing up its own proposals to show how a watchdog under statute could work.

Lord Falconer, the former Lord Chancellor, who is helping Labour draw up its plans, said it would be "deceitful" to characterise a press watchdog set up under laws as statutory regulation.

His comments come as Shami Chakrabati, an adviser to the Leveson Inquiry, said she opposes compulsory ethical regulation of the press.

She said newspapers should "rise to the challenge" of creating a voluntary watchdog system to avoid new laws.

"Later in his report, not part of the recommendations, [Lord Leveson] says there will be a problem if the press don’t rise to the challenge," she told Radio Four's Today Programme.

"What then would the politicians do if the press don’t set up the kind of club that he’s suggesting? Then he says, with a heavy heart, politicians might have to consider something compulsory. But he doesn’t recommend that.

"I have said that I could never, never countenance that. But I don’t think it’s going to be necessary, because the good news is I think the press are getting ready to rise to the challenge."

The Leveson report recommends press regulation to be introduced and it a grave threat to the freedom of press in this country - a press which exposed the MPs expenses scandal and many more scandals, including sex scandals which in a country like France (which has heavy media regulation) we would never hear about.

On one hand you've got the likes of the European Commission, Labour-lovéé JK Rowling, Hugh Grant (caught having an affairs apparently), Steve Coogan (exposed by papers of having an affair also), Alistair Campbell (enemy of the press concerning his Iraq war lies), John Prescott (again, battles with the press concerning his affairs), the Labour Party, a large section of the Conservative Party and the unLiberal unDemocrats pressing for press regulation.... if that group of people doesn't put you off press regulation then I do not know what will.

But i'm glad Cameron is standing against this - and this is coming from somebody who struggles to find reasons to praise him. Cameron, along with some backbenchers and hacking victim himself Nigel Farage are the only ones who I have heard defend freedom of the press in this country. As Private Eye editor Ian Hislop put it, the laws we have now are perfectly suited to dealing with what went on involving the News of The World - we do not need anymore law or state control.

The Leveson report ought to be rejected outright - let's hope the Prime Minister holds out.

Thoughts?

[Sian]

freedom of the press should stay, they just need to look into trying to enforce the rules better. Though how exactly you stop corruption I don't know...