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Press regulation: Newspapers 'could take legal action' Hugh Grant warns ministers against press 'betrayal'
(about 7 hours later)
Newspapers could take legal action in the European courts to prevent new press regulations coming into force, a senior industry figure has said. Actor Hugh Grant has said any "further compromise" by ministers over press regulation would be a "betrayal of the promises" made to media abuse victims.
The Privy Council has rejected press proposals for a royal charter and will now consider the government's plans. He said the government was "terrified of the press" and was doing all it could "to oblige the press barons".
Times executive editor Roger Alton told the BBC that should those plans be approved it would be an "unjust law". On Tuesday Culture Secretary Maria Miller said newspapers' proposals for regulation had been rejected.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller has said newspapers' own proposals do not comply with parts of the Leveson report. But she suggested the government was willing to consider some of the ideas put forward by publishers.
'Free press' Mr Grant, a member of the Hacked Off campaign, accused senior Tories of an "abuse of democracy" by trying to "sabotage" plans for a royal charter agreed by all parties in Parliament.
Mr Alton told the BBC's Newsnight programme that the industry had made "extraordinary concessions" on regulation. The report of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards recommended a tougher form of self-regulation backed by legislation, and Mr Grant said any suggestion such a system would limit free speech was "propaganda on the part of the press".
He said "there are laws engulfing the press" already and no new laws were required. He said some of the main newspaper groups "refuse to accept any system which would make them accountable for any of their actions".
He suggested that if the government's royal charter was approved the press could look to a judicial review or "could go to Europe because we think it's an unjust law. Mr Grant said Lord Leveson had made "very mild" recommendations but the press was determined to "mark its own homework".
"We completely accept the need to change the nature of regulation, we've put in place a whole heap of things. He said victims of press abuse, such as the families of Madeleine McCann and Milly Dowler, had been told by David Cameron that new rules would protect people from the press.
"What we don't want to have is a statutory body because that is essentially the end of 300 years of a free press." "Any further compromise would be a betrayal of the promises made by the secretary of state and above all by the prime minister to them," Mr Grant added.
Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, said Ms Miller was simply talking about "tidying up" press regulation plans.
He said the minister agreed with Lord Leveson that a regulation system forced on the press without its consent would be "unworkable".
On Tuesday Ms Miller announced that the Privy Council - an ancient body which advises the Queen, mostly made up of senior politicians - had rejected press proposals for a royal charter.
She referred to principles in the Leveson report such as independence and access to arbitration and said an alternative plan would now be "improved", adding that ministers were said to be willing to consider some of the industry's ideas.
Changes will now be made to the alternative plan backed by politicians and campaigners, and the Privy Council's decision is expected on 30 October.
Roger Alton, executive editor of the Times, later said newspapers could take legal action in the European courts against new rules.
He told the BBC's Newsnight programme the proposed system would be an "unjust law".
"What we don't want to have is a statutory body because that is essentially the end of 300 years of a free press," he said.
Mr Alton appeared on Newsnight in a personal capacity, not as a representative of his newspaper.Mr Alton appeared on Newsnight in a personal capacity, not as a representative of his newspaper.
'Improved' proposals
Earlier, Ms Miller told MPs that newspaper proposals for a royal charter covering press regulation had been rejected by the Privy Council.
She referred to principles in the Leveson report into press standards, such as independence and access to arbitration.
The alternative plans proposed by the government after cross-party talks would now be "improved", she added.
Ministers were said to be willing to consider some of the industry's ideas.
Their proposals for a royal charter will be put forward for approval on 30 October at a specially convened meeting of the Privy Council - an ancient body which advises the Queen, most of whose active members are senior politicians.
The Privy Council will meet on Wednesday to be informed that the press industry proposal for a royal charter will not be proceeded with but there will be no further discussion of the cross-party royal charter proposal.
Campaign group Hacked Off said the rejection of the industry's charter was "long overdue".
Options for the self-regulation of the press were proposed in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry, set up in July 2011 after it emerged journalists working for the now-closed News of the World had hacked into the mobile phone of murdered Surrey schoolgirl Milly Dowler.Options for the self-regulation of the press were proposed in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry, set up in July 2011 after it emerged journalists working for the now-closed News of the World had hacked into the mobile phone of murdered Surrey schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
But politicians and the newspapers have clashed over the details of a royal charter to set up a new official regulator.
The government's proposals, published in March, won Parliamentary backing.
The industry's plans were formally proposed by the majority of the UK's newspaper groups in July amid concerns the government charter gave politicians too much power.
New press regulator: Proposals comparedNew press regulator: Proposals compared
Political involvement:Political involvement:
"Recognition" panel:"Recognition" panel:
Appointments process:Appointments process:
Corrections and apologies:Corrections and apologies:
Arbitration:Arbitration: