Claims PM has made up mind on Leveson are desperate wishful thinking
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Responding to claims that David Cameron has already made his mind up on the future shape of press regulation, days before Lord Justice Leveson is due to hand over his report, Director of Hacked Off, Professor Brian Cathcart said:
This is wishful thinking and further proof that sections of the press are desperate and isolated.
Nobody should be prejudging the results of the Leveson Inquiry, as the Prime Minister himself told victims last week.
Self regulation is utterly discredited and any continuation of it would be another round in the Last Chance Saloon. The press have been given opportunities like this before and failed.
Three quarters of the public is behind a legal backstop, if it’s required to give regulation teeth. The public and the victims of press abuse are expecting politicians of all parties to stand up to the editors and proprietors, not to cave in to them.
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[…] Off Director Brian Cathcart described these claims as “desperate wishful […]
[…] According to Prof Cathcart, the Mail’s story was “wishful thinking and further proof that sections of the press are desperate and isolated”. What’s more, "Nobody should be prejudging the results of the Leveson Inquiry, as the Prime Minister himself told victims last week”. Then, just to be sure we’re all crystal clear about what not prejudging an inquiry looks like, Cathcart concluded: "Self regulation is utterly discredited and any continuation of it would be another round in the Last Chance Saloon. The press have been given opportunities like this before and failed. Three quarters of the public is behind a legal backstop, if it's required to give regulation teeth. The public and the victims of press abuse are expecting politicians of all parties to stand up to the editors and proprietors, not to cave in to them.” […]