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| Vote against new Leveson inquiry not the end for Hacked Off campaigners | Vote against new Leveson inquiry not the end for Hacked Off campaigners |
| (6 months later) | |
| When it was announced on Wednesday afternoon that MPs had rejected a new Leveson-style inquiry into the media by 304 votes to 295, the newspaper industry – and Conservative ministers – celebrated a narrow victory which they hoped would settle the issue for good. | When it was announced on Wednesday afternoon that MPs had rejected a new Leveson-style inquiry into the media by 304 votes to 295, the newspaper industry – and Conservative ministers – celebrated a narrow victory which they hoped would settle the issue for good. |
| Press regulation campaigners felt otherwise. | Press regulation campaigners felt otherwise. |
| “This is not necessarily the end,” said one Labour adviser immediately afterwards, explaining that peers had already discussed whether to send the relevant legislation back to the House of Commons in the event of a tight vote. | “This is not necessarily the end,” said one Labour adviser immediately afterwards, explaining that peers had already discussed whether to send the relevant legislation back to the House of Commons in the event of a tight vote. |
| On Wednesday night campaigners were understood to be meeting with peers to discuss whether to implement such a plan. | On Wednesday night campaigners were understood to be meeting with peers to discuss whether to implement such a plan. |
| This would involve rejecting the decision when the House of Lords considers the data protection legislation next week, sending the proposed law back to parliament’s lower chamber with the amendment reinstated and forcing MPs to once again vote on whether to hold a new public inquiry. | This would involve rejecting the decision when the House of Lords considers the data protection legislation next week, sending the proposed law back to parliament’s lower chamber with the amendment reinstated and forcing MPs to once again vote on whether to hold a new public inquiry. |
| Given just five MPs need to switch sides for the motion to fail, campaigners are hopeful that the small margin of victory could convince wavering politicians to jump ship and force an inquiry. | Given just five MPs need to switch sides for the motion to fail, campaigners are hopeful that the small margin of victory could convince wavering politicians to jump ship and force an inquiry. |
| The relatively unusual decision to keep pushing for another vote belies the fact that press regulation campaigners are starting to run out of legislative options and the defeat could force them to divert their attention to forthcoming court cases involving newspapers. | The relatively unusual decision to keep pushing for another vote belies the fact that press regulation campaigners are starting to run out of legislative options and the defeat could force them to divert their attention to forthcoming court cases involving newspapers. |
| Even the format of Wednesday’s vote hints at the battle underway: the two separate amendments at the heart of this week’s debate were tabled in relation to data protection legislation which had not been intended as a vehicle for press regulation and were both strongly opposed by the government. | Even the format of Wednesday’s vote hints at the battle underway: the two separate amendments at the heart of this week’s debate were tabled in relation to data protection legislation which had not been intended as a vehicle for press regulation and were both strongly opposed by the government. |
| One of the amendments, tabled by Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, appears doomed. It would have imposed punitive legal costs on any publisher which refused to signup to an officially recognised press regulator such as Impress. But the Watson did not even put his proposal to a vote when it became apparent the Scottish National party would abstain, leaving him heading for a heavy defeat. | One of the amendments, tabled by Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, appears doomed. It would have imposed punitive legal costs on any publisher which refused to signup to an officially recognised press regulator such as Impress. But the Watson did not even put his proposal to a vote when it became apparent the Scottish National party would abstain, leaving him heading for a heavy defeat. |
| The other amendment, tabled by the former Labour leader Ed Miliband, was billed as promising an inquiry often described as Leveson part two, in reference to the second half of the press ethics inquiry which the Conservative government had previously announced would not go ahead. In reality the proposed legislation set out an entirely new inquiry with a much broader remit which would have taken in the use of personal data by media outlets, fake news, and the regulation of companies such as Facebook and Twitter. | The other amendment, tabled by the former Labour leader Ed Miliband, was billed as promising an inquiry often described as Leveson part two, in reference to the second half of the press ethics inquiry which the Conservative government had previously announced would not go ahead. In reality the proposed legislation set out an entirely new inquiry with a much broader remit which would have taken in the use of personal data by media outlets, fake news, and the regulation of companies such as Facebook and Twitter. |
| Ultimately it was the votes of the Democratic Unionist party which pushed the government over the line and saved the media industry from potentially years of scrutiny. Seemingly, this was the result of a deal struck by the culture secretary Matt Hancock in which he promised the DUP an inquiry in Northern Ireland alone, which was excluded from the original inquiry. | Ultimately it was the votes of the Democratic Unionist party which pushed the government over the line and saved the media industry from potentially years of scrutiny. Seemingly, this was the result of a deal struck by the culture secretary Matt Hancock in which he promised the DUP an inquiry in Northern Ireland alone, which was excluded from the original inquiry. |
| A delighted Ian Paisley Jr described the offer as “Leveson for Northern Ireland”, to the fury of opposition MPs and campaigners who griped that it was another sweetheart deal for the Conservatives’ partners in the confidence-and-supply agreement which props up Theresa May’s government. | A delighted Ian Paisley Jr described the offer as “Leveson for Northern Ireland”, to the fury of opposition MPs and campaigners who griped that it was another sweetheart deal for the Conservatives’ partners in the confidence-and-supply agreement which props up Theresa May’s government. |
| The News Media Association, which represents major publishers, celebrated the vote as evidence MPs had chosen to “uphold the freedom of the press as a cornerstone of our democracy”, having argued that the proposals taken together would have caused “irreparable damage to the sector”. | The News Media Association, which represents major publishers, celebrated the vote as evidence MPs had chosen to “uphold the freedom of the press as a cornerstone of our democracy”, having argued that the proposals taken together would have caused “irreparable damage to the sector”. |
| But for the campaign group Hacked Off the battle continues. “This is not the end,” it said. “The fight goes on in parliament and the courts.” | But for the campaign group Hacked Off the battle continues. “This is not the end,” it said. “The fight goes on in parliament and the courts.” |
| Leveson inquiry | Leveson inquiry |
| Press regulation | Press regulation |
| Labour | Labour |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
| Democratic Unionist party (DUP) | Democratic Unionist party (DUP) |
| Tom Watson | Tom Watson |
| Ed Miliband | |
| analysis | analysis |
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