A senior Conservative MP has urged David Cameron to accept the newspaper industry’s proposal for a tough new Press watchdog.
John Whittingdale, chairman of the influential Commons culture select committee, said the Royal Charter idea put forward by the Press would protect the public from rogue journalists.
He called on the Prime Minister to ‘grab’ the proposal ‘with both hands’.
Britain’s newspapers, including the Daily Mail, came up with their own proposals for an independent regulator after rejecting a plan drawn up by politicians and the Hacked Off lobby group.
After reading the small print of the newspapers’ plan, Mr Whittingdale told the Sun on Sunday: ‘I could almost sign up to this tomorrow.’
The new Press-backed watchdog will have the power to impose fines of up to £1million and demand up-front corrections. But crucially, the scheme will prohibit interference by politicians and protects the freedom of the Press.
Mr Whittingdale said: ‘If you are in public life, you have to accept that people will criticise you. The people I am really concerned about are those who suddenly find themselves thrust into the spotlight. Those are the people who deserve protection from abuse by newspapers, and I believe the new system will deliver that.’
He said reforms were almost agreed between politicians and the Press when the process was ‘hijacked’ by members of the House of Lords.
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Then the pressure group Hacked Off, headed by actor Hugh Grant, was present when laws were drawn up at 2am while Mr Cameron was asleep.
Mr Whittingdale said it was a mistake that Press representatives were excluded from that meeting.
The MP urged David Cameron to 'grab' the press watchdog's proposal with both hands
‘It’s unfortunate that an agreement was reached between three political parties and a campaigning organisation but the people who would be affected by it – the Press – were not in the room or given the chance to express their view,’ he said. ‘But their proposal delivers all of what is needed in a new system. So we should grab this with both hands now.’
Mr Whittingdale said it was out of the question for a free country to force its Press to submit to state-backed controls.
He added: ‘The prize within our grasp is a robust regulator to protect the public while maintaining the precious principle of a free Press and a free society.’