We can agree with Tories on Leveson, says Harman
HARRIET Harman has signalled Labour’s willingness to reach an all-party ag reement over Lord Justice Leveson’s proposals on press regulation, but warned David Cameron “watered-down” plans would not be acceptable.
The Shadow Deputy Prime Minister and Shadow Culture Secretary said the Opposition would “definitely look at a Royal Charter” but stressed any arrangement could not be one that “drives a coach and horses through Leveson”.
Earlier this month, the Conservatives outlined plans for a body to verify a new regulator set up by the industry, as the main parties try to reach a consensus on press regulation.
Ms Harman said she hoped the Prime Minister would not be “lent on” by the press. She said: “Lord Leveson said it’s very important that we go forward on the basis of all political parties agreeing and indeed that is what the victims of press abuse have also said: don’t have a political fight about it, try and reach agreement, and we have bent over backwards to try and reach agreement.
“We thought Lord Leveson’s proposal of having a statute to set it all up was sensible, but the Conservatives said they don’t agree with that.”
She added: “We’ve said we’ll definitely look at a Royal Charter but it can’t be one which drives a coach and horses through Leveson, it’s got to be actually delivering the standards that Leveson set forth.”
Ms Harman said there needed to be some way to prevent ministers tampering with any Royal Charter and ensure the press was not involved in appointing the body that was going to be auditing it.
Ms Harman said Parliament was growing impatient on the issue and the House of Lords had already voted to put it all in statute. She said: “It’s for the Conservatives now to really take this historic opportunity to sort out what has been wrong for decades and we’ll support them if they do that.”