Leveson: Press regulation deal reached

A cross-party deal for a new press regulator underpinned by statute has been reached this morning after Labour said reopened talks had ended with a workable agreement that could be put to MPs.

The news comes after lengthy talks were held throughout the night between the Lib Dem and Labour leaders and a Cabinet Office minister.

Harriet Harman confirmed this morning that a deal had been reached to to create a new press regulator with the power to levy heavy fines for any breaches of the new code.

There will be a small piece of legislation to prevent the charter from being watered down by any ministers at a later date, which peers will be asked to agree to when it is presented later this afternoon.

Harman told ITV’s Daybreak programme: “We have got an agreement which protects the freedom of the press…but also protects the rights of people not to have their lives turned upside down.

“You don’t have to choose should you have a free press or should you protect people from abuse by the press. You can actually have both, and I think that is the agreement that we have reached and we will put it to the House of Commons this afternoon and I hope that we won’t have a vote because I hope that everybody will be agreed.”

Speaking to the BBC, Tory MP Maria Miller said leaders still needed to discuss the details.

“We’re very close to a deal,” she said. “What has been accepted by all the main parties is that the prime minister’s royal charter should go ahead, and more importantly we’ve stopped Labour’s extreme version of the press law.”