British politicians agree on new, fully toothed press regulator

A proposal by the UK government to put in place a powerful media regulator, introduced in parliament by Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday, has got cross-party support, but has raised the hackles of a large section of the British press.

The government aims to prevent phone-hacking scandals such as the one that led to the demise of the popular weekly paper News of the World, run by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Opening an emergency debate granted to him by the Speaker on 18 March, Cameron hailed the cross-party agreement on press regulation as a "practical, workable, deliverable solution".

Cameron told the House of Commons, "What happened to the Dowlers, to the McCanns, to Christopher Jefferies, and to many other innocent people who have never sought the limelight was utterly despicable.

"It is right that we put in place a new system of press regulation to ensure that such appalling acts can never happen again. We should do this without any further delay."

The Conservatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats have agreed that an independent regulator should be established by royal charter. The regular would consider whether self-regulation of newspaper journalism is working properly in future.

Parties across the benches have also agreed to back legislation so that newspapers not signing up for the new regulatory system could face exemplary damages.

A further legislative change aims to make it harder for future governments to change the royal charter, by requiring a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament in favour of such a reversal.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said, "Today we break the pattern of decades and decades, where politicians promised to act on wrongdoings by the press and failed to do so.

"Some people will ask why we are here today at all when there are so many pressing issues that the country has to deal with. My answer is simple: because I don't want to live in a country where sections of the press can abuse their power to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent people.

"And equally, I want to live in a country that upholds the right of a fearless, angry and controversial press that holds the powerful to account, including in this House."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the deal "strikes the right balance between the freedom of the press and the rights of individuals".

The independent regulator will have powers to impose fines and demand prominent corrections, and courts will be allowed to impose exemplary damages on newspapers that fail to join the body.

All three party leaders hailed the "historic" deal, sealed in extraordinary late-night talks on Sunday in the office of Miliband after months of wrangling. But many of the country's leading newspaper publishers were wary of the new legislation.

The newspapers are furious that Cameron's policy adviser, cabinet office minister Oliver Letwin, sealed the deal at 2.30 am on Monday morning in Miliband's office, accompanied by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and four members of Hacked Off, a group representing aggrieved victims of intrusive reporting.

Under the deal, the newspaper industry has lost its power to veto appointments to the body that will replace the Press Complaints Commission, the previous regulator discredited by its failure to investigate phone hacking by leading newspapers.

David Cameron urged the newspaper industry to sign up quickly to the agreement by setting up the new regulator. "It is a neat solution. It is not a panacea," he said.

Quoting the Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, the prime minister said, "It is closing time in the last chance saloon. This replaces a failed regulatory system with one that will work because it has some real independence at its heart and is going to be properly overseen without allowing parliament to endlessly interfere."

(See: After News Corp, UK's Trinity Mirror faces hacking charges / BSkyB allowed to retain broadcast license / Murdoch's media empire agrees to settle with victims / News of the World ex-editor Coulson jailed)