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| Leveson reforms could be made by charitable trust, says industry group | Leveson reforms could be made by charitable trust, says industry group |
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| Growing press hostility to No 10's attempts to implement the Leveson report have resulted in the industry proposing an alternative to Oliver Letwin's royal charter plan for the oversight of press regulation. | Growing press hostility to No 10's attempts to implement the Leveson report have resulted in the industry proposing an alternative to Oliver Letwin's royal charter plan for the oversight of press regulation. |
| A charitable trust could act to verify whether a revamped Press Complaints Commission was doing its job, a press steering group told a meeting of newspaper editors and executives held in Central London on Thursday morning. | A charitable trust could act to verify whether a revamped Press Complaints Commission was doing its job, a press steering group told a meeting of newspaper editors and executives held in Central London on Thursday morning. |
| The trust would not need to be backed up by statute – a red line issue for so many editors – in contrast to Letwin's existing plan to create an overseer backed by royal charter, supported by a five-page bill the Cabinet Office minister has drawn up to ensure that the charter body cannot be tampered with. | The trust would not need to be backed up by statute – a red line issue for so many editors – in contrast to Letwin's existing plan to create an overseer backed by royal charter, supported by a five-page bill the Cabinet Office minister has drawn up to ensure that the charter body cannot be tampered with. |
| Letwin – who acts as David Cameron's policy fixer – has been involved in increasingly tortuous negotiations to work out how to implement Lord Justice Leveson's proposals, which have taken him far away from the prime minister's initial response to the inquiry report when it was released in December. | Letwin – who acts as David Cameron's policy fixer – has been involved in increasingly tortuous negotiations to work out how to implement Lord Justice Leveson's proposals, which have taken him far away from the prime minister's initial response to the inquiry report when it was released in December. |
| At that time Cameron said there should no new press law as proposed by the judge, but that otherwise Leveson should be implemented in full. But a string of detailed objections have led to Letwin's plan becoming more and more complicated – in turn arousing the ire of the industry's negotiators. | At that time Cameron said there should no new press law as proposed by the judge, but that otherwise Leveson should be implemented in full. But a string of detailed objections have led to Letwin's plan becoming more and more complicated – in turn arousing the ire of the industry's negotiators. |
| Peter Wright, the former Mail on Sunday editor, one of those fronting the industry's efforts, wrote to Letwin to complain about the direction No 10's royal charter plan had taken – and the meeting heard that the minister had responded offering some concessions in reply. | Peter Wright, the former Mail on Sunday editor, one of those fronting the industry's efforts, wrote to Letwin to complain about the direction No 10's royal charter plan had taken – and the meeting heard that the minister had responded offering some concessions in reply. |
| Letwin softened his previous insistence that the industry adopt all of Leveson's non-statutory recommendations to the letter, indicating that a new regulator would not have to act in "the spirit of existing equalities legislation" when it handles complaints made about "allegedly discriminatory reporting". | Letwin softened his previous insistence that the industry adopt all of Leveson's non-statutory recommendations to the letter, indicating that a new regulator would not have to act in "the spirit of existing equalities legislation" when it handles complaints made about "allegedly discriminatory reporting". |
| The minister also said that newspapers would not necessarily have to accept third-party complaints except on matters of accuracy and on subjects in the public interest. However, led by Paul Dacre, the editor in chief of the Daily Mail, many editors are nervous about accepting complaints from people other than the subjects of news stories on any issue other than factual accuracy because they fear being deluged by pressure groups. | The minister also said that newspapers would not necessarily have to accept third-party complaints except on matters of accuracy and on subjects in the public interest. However, led by Paul Dacre, the editor in chief of the Daily Mail, many editors are nervous about accepting complaints from people other than the subjects of news stories on any issue other than factual accuracy because they fear being deluged by pressure groups. |
| There are also signs that Letwin's "three wise men" plan – originally proposed in discussions with former Times editor James Harding – has run into the ground. The idea had been that three public office holders – such as the president of the Royal Society – would constitute the press verifier as created by royal charter. But nobody appropriate has been found to take up the task. | There are also signs that Letwin's "three wise men" plan – originally proposed in discussions with former Times editor James Harding – has run into the ground. The idea had been that three public office holders – such as the president of the Royal Society – would constitute the press verifier as created by royal charter. But nobody appropriate has been found to take up the task. |
| Lord Hunt, the PCC chairman, is leading efforts to create a successor body to the discredited press regulator, supported by Lord Phillips, the former lord chief justice of England and Wales. | Lord Hunt, the PCC chairman, is leading efforts to create a successor body to the discredited press regulator, supported by Lord Phillips, the former lord chief justice of England and Wales. |
| But with Letwin struggling to advance, the Conservatives face a battle to complete their side of the bargain – delivering reinforcement to a revamped PCC to allow judges to recognise its activities before the end of the month, when Labour is threatening a Commons vote on the issue. | But with Letwin struggling to advance, the Conservatives face a battle to complete their side of the bargain – delivering reinforcement to a revamped PCC to allow judges to recognise its activities before the end of the month, when Labour is threatening a Commons vote on the issue. |
| Letwin had proposed incorporating the press verification body by royal charter – originally a medieval device – using the powers of the crown in the Privy Council to create a corporate body without involving parliament. However, amid worries about whether ministers could arbitrarily interfere in the running of the charter body, Letwin proposed the five-page bill to prevent the government of the day interfering with its constitution. | Letwin had proposed incorporating the press verification body by royal charter – originally a medieval device – using the powers of the crown in the Privy Council to create a corporate body without involving parliament. However, amid worries about whether ministers could arbitrarily interfere in the running of the charter body, Letwin proposed the five-page bill to prevent the government of the day interfering with its constitution. |
| By contrast, a charitable trust could be set up entirely independent of government and parliament. It would be subject to regulation by the Charities Commission to ensure it was meeting its purposes, and its decisions and function could be challenged in the courts. | By contrast, a charitable trust could be set up entirely independent of government and parliament. It would be subject to regulation by the Charities Commission to ensure it was meeting its purposes, and its decisions and function could be challenged in the courts. |
| A subsequent afternoon meeting between newspaper representatives and front benchers from all three main parties updated politicians on the morning meeting and the gradual progress being made on creating a successor to the PCC. | |
| Letwin and culture secretary Maria Miller were present for the government, with Harriet Harman for Labour and Lord Wallace for the Lib Dems. | |
| Those attending from the press side included John Witherow, the Sunday Times editor tipped to edit the Times, Paul Vickers, the group legal director of Trinity Mirror, Chris Blackhurst, the editor of the Independent – and Wright and Lord Hunt. Little substantive appears to have emerged from this particular set of discussions. | |
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