Newspapers and magazines in Britain have condemned the government’s decision to reject their self-regulation proposals, warning that changes set to be accepted by Britain’s three main political parties on Friday will “fatally destroy freedom of expression”.
In a joint stand, the industry – bar the Guardian – insisted that the regulatory system now set to be agreed goes much further than the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry last November, and contradicts many of them.
Meanwhile, the head of that inquiry, Mr Justice Brian Leveson, yesterday refused to answer questions about the growing row over press regulation, insisting he had said everything he wanted to say in his report.
He will come under pressure today to take sides when he appears before MPs. The chairman of a Commons committee, Conservative MP John Whittingdale said: "I think it would be helpful if he could express a view about where we go from here."
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and campaign group Hacked Off insist that editors should have no role in a supervisory body that would review the workings of a press regulator, and that two-thirds of MPs should be able to change the rules if necessary.
Much of the industry is proceeding with plans to set up its own regulator, which would have tougher powers than the discredited Press Complaints Commission – but which has been rejected as unacceptable by victims of press intrusion.
Industry response
"It is impossible to see how a royal charter that has been written by politicians and the Hacked Off lobby group and is to be imposed by politicians could possibly meet Lord Justice Leveson's recommendation," said industry representatives in a statement.
If publishers cannot get the new body “officially recognised” by a royal charter, they will face the threat of crippling exemplary damages, or the payment of costs even in cases they win, because of legislation passed this year.”
The decision by a subcommittee of the privy council to reject the industry’s proposals had been deeply disappointing, the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Newspaper Society, the Scottish Newspaper Society and the Professional Publishers Association said.
A major standoff looms. Culture secretary Maria Miller has said the final regulatory package will be signed off, including some last-minute minor concessions to the press, after final talks with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
However, publishers are threatening to boycott a state regulator, which leaves prime minister David Cameron facing the prospect of passing legislation to force compliance – a nightmare scenario for a Conservative prime minister.
“Nothing could be more controversial than a royal charter imposed by politicians on an industry which is wholly opposed to it and which would fatally undermine freedom of expression,” the industry groups said last night.
Hacked Off
Insisting that the press wants to continue "to mark its own homework", leading Hacked Off campaigner and actor Hugh Grant said further compromise by ministers would be a "betrayal of the promises" they had made.
Appearing before members of the House of Lords yesterday, Mr Justice Leveson said he had taken up the inquiry post after he was assured that he would be independent – subject to being challenged only in the courts.
“It would be absolutely inappropriate for me to come back into the question of my report or regulation of the press. I was given a job to do – I was to examine the facts and make recommendations. I have done my best, it is for others to decide how to take this forward.”
