DAILY MAIL (London)
November 28, 2012 Wednesday
THEIR MESSAGE TO DAVID CAMERON
With the publication of the Leveson Report on Thursday it is clear that the central issue will be whether the Press should, for the first time, be subjected to statutory regulation or have the opportunity to put in place a new system of binding self-regulation.
As Parliamentarians, we believe in free speech and are opposed to the imposition of any form of statutory control even if it is dressed up as underpinning. It is redress that is vital not broader regulation. The prospect of drafting legislation may have the dual benefit of exposing the dangers of the statutory regulation and at the same time focus the minds of those seeking to further strengthen the existing tough independent proposals.
No form of statutory regulation of the Press would be possible without the imposition of state licensing – abolished in Britain in 1695. State licensing is inimical to any idea of Press freedom and would radically alter the balance of our unwritten constitution.
There are also serious concerns that statutory regulation of the print media may shift the balance to the digital platforms which, as recent events have shown through the fiasco of the Newsnight broadcast prompted by Twitter, would further undermine the position of properly moderated and edited print journalism.
The Press abuse chronicled at Leveson was almost wholly about actions which were against the law. It demonstrated not a sole failure of regulation but rather of law enforcement.
However the status quo is not an option. We cannot countenance newspapers behaving as some have in the past. The solution is not new laws but a profound restructuring of the self-regulatory system. Lords Hunt and Black have come forward with a detailed proposal for a much improved, genuinely independent regulator with the power to intervene proactively, to levy substantial fines, and to enforce membership for the first time through a system of civil contracts. They need to deliver on this promised reform.
We agree with the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which came out against any form of statutory regulation – not least because of the signal it would send to emerging democracies around the world.
Public debate will necessarily follow publication of the Leveson report and will be needed to provide confidence in a rigorous tough new system of self-regulation. Such a debate will lead to a speedy way of establishing a new self-regulatory regime that can restore confidence in the Press.
SIGNED BY: David Blunkett, Conor Burns, Stuart Andrew, Steve Baker, Lord Bell, Bob Blackman, Nick de Bois, Baroness Boothroyd, Peter Bottomley, Peter Bone, Graham Brady, Angie Bray, Julian Brazier, Andrew Bridgen, Alun Cairns, Baroness Chalker, Bill Cash, Douglas Carswell, Lord Cavendish, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Lord Coe, Therese Coffey, Damian Collins, Earl of Courtown, Tracey Crouch, David Davis, Glyn Davies, Philip Davies, Lord Dobbs, Brian Donohoe, Stephen Dorrell, Lord Eden, Lord Fellowes, Liam Fox, Frank Field, Lord Flight, Lord Forsyth, Mike Freer, Lord Glentoran, James Gray, Robert Halfon, John Hemming, Gordon Henderson, Kate Hoey, George Hollingbery, Lord Howell of Guildford, Margot James, Eleanor Laing, Pauline Latham, Phillip Lee, Julian Lewis, Peter Lilley, Karen Lumley, Jason McCartney, Karl McCartney, Stephen McPartland, Baroness Morris, David Morris, Stephen Mosley, Baroness Neville-Jones, Brooks Newmark, Lord Norton, Mark Pawsey, Christopher Pincher, Mark Reckless, John Redwood, Lord Renton, Lord Risby, Baroness Shephard, Lord Skelmersdale, Graham Stringer, Julian Smith, Gisela Stuart, Graham Stuart, Lord Swinfen, Lord Tebbit, Justin Tomlinson, Lord Trimble, Lord True, Andrew Turner, Martin Vickers, Lord Wakeham, Heather Wheeler, John Whittingdale, Sarah Wollaston, Tim Yeo.
© Daily Mail
November 30, 2012
The FSA in first warned about and then stopped the crash of 2008-9. Ofqual in provided the amazing GCSE and A level results under the Labour Government of Tony Blair. State Schools under the aegis of Ofsted (not forgetting with the Childrens’ Homes) are all blooming under government regulators. The challenges of Climate Change are being addressed with continually dropping electricity prices under Ofgem (what a witty name there!) Once the wind farms are in full production, electricity will, of course, be provided completely free which will tie in nicely with the electric cars and heavy lorries which will, by then, have taken over most road and air transport.
So under Ofset, the new Regulator, we can look forward to the Newspapers being brought up to the standard of the Guardian Newspaper and that National Treasure, our BBC, by the time of the next election.
Things, let me remind you, can only get better.