Royal Charter on Press Conduct

Debate between Simon Hughes and Adrian Sanders

Monday 18th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Simon Hughes]

That is exactly what I think the public want. That is why it has been a privilege to work with colleagues of all parties and their staff. I pay tribute to the Prime Minister and his team, to the Deputy Prime Minister and his team. and to the Leader of the Opposition, his deputy and their team, and to their staff, the civil servants, the special advisers and others who have worked beyond the call of duty, and to the Clerks, including the Clerk of the House. There has been an absolute will to try to solve the problem in time.

[Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay) (LD)]

Is not the prize here the fact that a free press will still be able to expose wrongdoing, but not at the expense of trashing people’s lives?

[Simon Hughes]

That is a very good summary. We want the best and freest press in the world, but we do not want a press that is marred and tarred by being seen to cosy up to the Government of the day, and compromised, and parties compromised. We do not want a press that does dubious deals with the police behind closed doors, not in the interests of members of the public. We want people to be able to be supported by the press, not trashed by the press. My hon. Friend is quite right.