‘Great day for free, fair press’ as MPS defeat moves for new media inquiry

Hancock has hailed a “great day for a free and fair press” after MPS narrowly defeated attempts to establish a new inquiry into media and police relations.

The Culture Secretary added the government will work “closely” with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), the self-regulatory body, to ensure its “important work continues”.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband led moves to amend the Data Protection Bill to establish a statutory inquiry dubbed Leveson part two.

But this was rejected by 304 votes to 295, majority nine, when pushed to a vote in the Commons - prompting cries of “shame” in the chamber.

Five Conservative MPS rebelled to support the measure, including former ministers Ken Clarke, Domin- ic Grieve and Crispin Blunt, while Labour’s John Grogan rebelled to oppose the amendment.

Ahead of the vote, Mr Hancock confirmed that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary would be undertaking a review of how police forces were adhering to new media relations guidance – as recommended by Sir Brian Leveson.

He added a person would also be responsible for reviewing standards of the press in Northern Ireland, which DUP MP Ian Paisley suggested could be viewed as a “Leveson for Northern Ireland” – an announcement branded “extraordinary” by Mr Miliband.

A separate Labour bid to introduce a measure forcing publishers not signed up to a state-backed regulator to pay their opponent’s legal costs in relation to alleged data breaches even if they won the case also faltered.

The SNP’S Brendan O’hara said his party could not support a “system of press regulation that will be imposed from Westminster on Holyrood” and the amendments later fell after they were not moved to a vote.

Mr Hancock had warned such proposals would have had a “catastrophic” impact on local newspapers and risked making it “near impossible” to uncover stories of abuse.

Reacting to the vote on Levmatt eson part two, Mr Hancock wrote on Twitter: “A great day for a free and fair press.”

But Mr Miliband tweeted: “Very disappointed for the victims of phone-hacking and press abuse that we did not win the vote for Leveson 2.

“The battle goes on to keep our promise to them to get the truth they deserve and protection for victims in the future.”

Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray welcomed the result.