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| Newspapers accused of seeking role for Lord Black in new watchdog | Newspapers accused of seeking role for Lord Black in new watchdog |
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| The country's biggest newspapers groups have been accused of trying to shoehorn a Tory peer, Lord Black, into a key position on a new press watchdog. | The country's biggest newspapers groups have been accused of trying to shoehorn a Tory peer, Lord Black, into a key position on a new press watchdog. |
| Former Labour culture secretary Ben Bradshaw questioned why most newspaper and magazine publishers had come out against the three main parties' plans to ban any working peers from sitting on the main board of the proposed newspaper regulator to replace the Press Complaints Commission. | Former Labour culture secretary Ben Bradshaw questioned why most newspaper and magazine publishers had come out against the three main parties' plans to ban any working peers from sitting on the main board of the proposed newspaper regulator to replace the Press Complaints Commission. |
| "I rather think it looks like you are trying to keep a seat warm for Lord Black or Lord Hunt," Bradshaw, an MP and member of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, told newspaper executives during a hearing about press regulation on Tuesday. | "I rather think it looks like you are trying to keep a seat warm for Lord Black or Lord Hunt," Bradshaw, an MP and member of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, told newspaper executives during a hearing about press regulation on Tuesday. |
| Peter Wright, editor emeritus of Associated Newspapers, denied this was true and said it wanted to be able to draw from a pool of the most qualified people in the country and that included peers from all parties. | |
| Black is the Telegraph Media Group executive director and chairman of PCC funding body PressBof. Hunt is PCC chairman and, like Black, a Conservative peer. | Black is the Telegraph Media Group executive director and chairman of PCC funding body PressBof. Hunt is PCC chairman and, like Black, a Conservative peer. |
| Black, also a former PCC director, has been playing a key role in the major newspaper groups' lobbying effort since the Leveson inquiry into press ethics was launched in 2011. | Black, also a former PCC director, has been playing a key role in the major newspaper groups' lobbying effort since the Leveson inquiry into press ethics was launched in 2011. |
| However, he is a divisive figure who has been described as "a man with no shadow" because of his behind-the-scenes modus operandi. Some in the newspaper industry believe his continued involvement in press regulation would mark a return to the discredited ways of the past. | However, he is a divisive figure who has been described as "a man with no shadow" because of his behind-the-scenes modus operandi. Some in the newspaper industry believe his continued involvement in press regulation would mark a return to the discredited ways of the past. |
| Under the agreement reached in a late night meeting in Ed Miliband's office in March, the three main political parties agreed to replace the PCC with a new body, underpinned by a royal charter, which would be free of serving editors and all politicians bar peers who had not taken any party whip for at least five years. | Under the agreement reached in a late night meeting in Ed Miliband's office in March, the three main political parties agreed to replace the PCC with a new body, underpinned by a royal charter, which would be free of serving editors and all politicians bar peers who had not taken any party whip for at least five years. |
| The press, which have now come up with their own rival royal charter and articles of association for the new body, wants to keep the ban on MPs but drop the ban on peers, which Bradshaw believes opens the door for Black or Hunt. | The press, which have now come up with their own rival royal charter and articles of association for the new body, wants to keep the ban on MPs but drop the ban on peers, which Bradshaw believes opens the door for Black or Hunt. |
| He made the remarks during a two-hour grilling of two senior newspaper executives, Peter Wright, editor emeritus of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers and Paul Vickers, Trinity Mirror group legal director, by MPs on the culture select committee. | He made the remarks during a two-hour grilling of two senior newspaper executives, Peter Wright, editor emeritus of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers and Paul Vickers, Trinity Mirror group legal director, by MPs on the culture select committee. |
| Wright said the decision to drop the ban on working peers was merely a practical consideration designed to ensure the pool from which to draw potential board members would be of high quality. | Wright said the decision to drop the ban on working peers was merely a practical consideration designed to ensure the pool from which to draw potential board members would be of high quality. |
| "The new body would have to have persons of high calibre. Believe it or not, people of very high calibre in this country end up in the House of Lords," he said, adding that it was not a conspiracy to keep to the tradition of having a Tory chairman of the press watchdog. | "The new body would have to have persons of high calibre. Believe it or not, people of very high calibre in this country end up in the House of Lords," he said, adding that it was not a conspiracy to keep to the tradition of having a Tory chairman of the press watchdog. |
| He pointed out that the Advertising Standards Authority could equally be accused of leftwing bias because it had been chaired on the last three occasions by Labour peers. | He pointed out that the Advertising Standards Authority could equally be accused of leftwing bias because it had been chaired on the last three occasions by Labour peers. |
| He warned that "a lot of people in the industry would have a lot of difficulty in forming a regulator" under the charter proposed by the three main parties, but said he sincerely hoped a version of the charter that was acceptable to everyone could be agreed. | He warned that "a lot of people in the industry would have a lot of difficulty in forming a regulator" under the charter proposed by the three main parties, but said he sincerely hoped a version of the charter that was acceptable to everyone could be agreed. |
| Vickers said Trinity Mirror was supporting the press royal charter and its local papers would have serious issues with "claims farming" lawyers, who he claimed would abuse the government's proposals for an arbitral system for early resolution of disputes. | Vickers said Trinity Mirror was supporting the press royal charter and its local papers would have serious issues with "claims farming" lawyers, who he claimed would abuse the government's proposals for an arbitral system for early resolution of disputes. |
| "I think every single paper in our group will sign up to the press version of the royal charter," he added. "Our big concern is that the system will be taken over by lawyers trying to earn fees from small struggling newspapers." | "I think every single paper in our group will sign up to the press version of the royal charter," he added. "Our big concern is that the system will be taken over by lawyers trying to earn fees from small struggling newspapers." |
| Local newspapers, which are involved in 40% of the complaints dealt with by the PCC, rarely end up in the high court and fear a legally binding arbitral system will lead to a flood of compensation claims. | Local newspapers, which are involved in 40% of the complaints dealt with by the PCC, rarely end up in the high court and fear a legally binding arbitral system will lead to a flood of compensation claims. |
| "Under the present system, people prefer to go a body that offers a free and quick resolution. But if they thought there was a couple of thousand quid in it for them and there was no risk, they would make a compensation claim," said Wright. | "Under the present system, people prefer to go a body that offers a free and quick resolution. But if they thought there was a couple of thousand quid in it for them and there was no risk, they would make a compensation claim," said Wright. |
| Wright, a former editor of the Mail on Sunday, said there was also an issue with the government proposal to allow group complaints. He said well-funded lobbying organisations acting on behalf of groups, such as Travellers, could move in to act on behalf of the entire group if offence was taken in relation to an article about an individual. | Wright, a former editor of the Mail on Sunday, said there was also an issue with the government proposal to allow group complaints. He said well-funded lobbying organisations acting on behalf of groups, such as Travellers, could move in to act on behalf of the entire group if offence was taken in relation to an article about an individual. |
| Under the current system, complaints from lobby groups are not accepted but campaigners for disability and women's rights called for this rule to change at last year's Leveson inquiry. | Under the current system, complaints from lobby groups are not accepted but campaigners for disability and women's rights called for this rule to change at last year's Leveson inquiry. |
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