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Leveson talks spark hopes of press regulation deal Leveson talks spark hopes of press regulation deal
(35 minutes later)
Hopes have risen of a breakthrough in long-running talks on implementing the Leveson inquiry recommendations on press regulation reform.Hopes have risen of a breakthrough in long-running talks on implementing the Leveson inquiry recommendations on press regulation reform.
Talks on Monday night between the political parties led for the first time to the production of new details on how a royal charter overseeing the press would be implemented.Talks on Monday night between the political parties led for the first time to the production of new details on how a royal charter overseeing the press would be implemented.
The Conservatives have proposed a royal charter as a way of ensuring a permanent body is set up to oversee and verify the new press regulatory body proposed by Leveson. The Conservatives have proposed a royal charter as a way of ensuring a permanent body is set up to oversee and verify the new press regulatory body proposed by Leveson. David Cameron has resisted Leveson's recommendation that a new regulator should have statutory underpinning.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have been concerned that the royal charter and the verifying body could be abolished in the future at the whim of a minister. There has also been disagreement over the extent to which the regulatory body should be chaired by an independent figure not employed by the press. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have been concerned that the royal charter and the verifying body could be abolished in the future at the whim of a minister, unless they are backed by statute. There has also been disagreement over the extent to which the regulatory body should be chaired by an independent figure not employed by the press.
The talks on Monday were conducted between Oliver Letwin, who is David Cameron's cabinet fixer, the culture secretary, Maria Miller, Labour's shadow culture secretary, Harriet Harman and Lord Wallace for the Liberal Democrats. The talks on Monday were conducted between Oliver Letwin, who is Cameron's cabinet fixer, the culture secretary, Maria Miller, Labour's shadow culture secretary, Harriet Harman, and Lord Wallace for the Liberal Democrats.
Later on Tuesday Labour and the Lib Dems are to meet representatives from the Hacked Off campaign, which has been lobbying on behalf of press victims, to go through the progress made at Monday's meeting.Later on Tuesday Labour and the Lib Dems are to meet representatives from the Hacked Off campaign, which has been lobbying on behalf of press victims, to go through the progress made at Monday's meeting.
If Hacked Off and the political parties are happy with the new proposal it is likely there will be a meeting on Tuesday between the party leaders, Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.If Hacked Off and the political parties are happy with the new proposal it is likely there will be a meeting on Tuesday between the party leaders, Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.
One source said: " We are 60% there, but 40% still really near." One source said: "We are 60% there, but 40% still really near."
More details soon … A Labour spokesman said there had been progress, but added: "There is no agreement. There is no agreed time on a leaders' meeting."
News of the developments in the cross-party talks came as three national newspapers broke ranks with other UK media titles to propose a way to end the deadlock over regulation.
The move by the Guardian, Independent and Financial Times was signalled in separate editorials in the three titles.
An editorial in Tuesday's FT said the failure to agree on a regulatory regime would threaten vital economic reforms and could result in a backlash. "What is now needed is a practical gesture of goodwill to break the deadlock and avoid a sweeping press law," it said.
The Guardian argued in its editorial that the royal charter proposal amounted to statutory regulation "via the back door of Buckingham Palace rather than the front door of Westminster". The creation of a legal clause to underpin such a charter would offer a "constitutional fudge" that could be "amended only in the open with the agreement of an overwhelming majority of parliament".
The Independent said that while Leveson's proposal to create a legally enshrined independent regulator went too far, the arguments against some form of statutory underpinning had lost perspective. "Even reasonable halfway measures are characterised as press freedoms eroded and democratic principles laid waste," it said in its editorial.