A very dangerous Bill

LABOUR yesterday revealed the true intent behind its strident demands for reform of the free Press – to gag newspapers whose politics it disagrees with, while inviting its friends at The Guardian to carry on as usual.

Its amendments to the forthcoming Data Protection Bill include a blatant attempt to resurrect the notorious Section 40, under which newspapers that refused to sign up to the state-backed regulator Impress would have to pay the legal costs of both sides of any libel action, even if they won.

But this time, any paper which reinvests all its profits back into the company would be exempt. Surprise, surprise, this includes The Guardian, which is owned by the nonprofit-making Scott Trust.

For Labour to back Section 40 at all is a lethal assault on free speech, which could lead to the death of many smaller papers. To back it only to silence those with whom they disagree smacks of totalitarianism.