Bon voyage, Mr Cleese

THE Mail firmly hopes this week will mark the start of a new, less rancorous relationship between the Press and politicians, after the Commons voted against yet another hugely expensive and time-consuming inquiry into newspapers. So few MPs supported Labour deputy leader Tom Watson that he was forced to abandon his poisonous attempt to skew the scales of justice against any paper which refused to accept State regulation.

Great credit must go to those who stood up for struggling local newspapers, for great campaigning journalism, and for holding the rich and powerful to account – but particularly to Mrs May and her Culture Secretary Matt Hancock.

Is it too much to hope that embittered zealots such as Ed Miliband, Mr Watson and his orgy-loving benefactor Max Mosley respect the vote and abandon their sour and self-interested campaign? As for John Cleese – who promised to leave the country if the vote didn’t go his way – we wish him bon voyage!