The press have spent the past few days telling us that Leveson will be decided this week; culminating in a “historical” cross-party deal in the next 48 hours.

We thought we would take the opportunity to remind you of some of the commitments David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband made to parliament, the country and in their own words “most importantly, the victims of press abuse” when they addressed parliament following the publication of Lord Justice Leveson’s report on 29 November last year.

In support of victims

We should consider the victims. We should remember how the parents of Milly Dowler, at their most vulnerable moment, had their daughter’s phone hacked… How Christopher Jefferies’ reputation was destroyed by false accusations. And how [Kate McCann] and her husband were falsely accused of keeping their daughter’s body in their freezer… These victims – and many other innocent people who have never sought the limelight – have suffered in a way that we can barely begin to imagine.DAVID CAMERON

I do not want to live in a country where innocent families like the McCanns and the Dowlers can see their lives torn apart simply for the sake of profit. And where powerful interest in the press know they won’t be held to account… As the Prime Minister himself said at the Leveson Inquiry: ‘If the families like the Dolwers feel this has really changed the way they would have been treated, we would have done our job properly.’ I agree.ED MILIBAND

A free press does not mean a press that is free to bully innocent people, or free to abuse grieving families. What I want now is for us to strike a better balance between… two liberal principles so that our media can scrutinise the powers that be, but cannot destroy innocent lives. So that journalists up in the press gallery can hold us – the politicians – to account, but we can look up to the individuals and families in the public gallery knowing they have the right protections in place. NICK CLEGG

On the press

And most important of all – let me turn to what Lord Justice Leveson says about the relationship between the press and the public… his words are very stark. He finds that ‘there have been too many times when chasing the story; parts of the press have acted as if its own code, which it wrote, simply did not exist’. He cites ‘press behaviour that… can only be described as outrageous’… He refers to a recklessness in prioritising sensational stories, almost irrespective of the harm that the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected’… He finds that ‘when the story is just too big and the public appetite too great, there has been significant and reckless disregard for accuracy’… And he reports a ‘cultural tendency within parts of the press vigorously to resist or dismiss complaints almost as a matter of course.’DAVID CAMERON

Lord Justice Leveson concludes that a whole range of practices… were widespread, all in breach of the code by which the press was supposed to abide…. [he continues by quoting Leveson] it is argued that these are aberrations and do not reflect on the culture, practices or ethics of the press as a whole. I wholly reject this analysis. ED MILIBAND

On a new system of self-regulation

Lord Justice Leveson sets out proposals for independent self-regulation organised by the media. He details key 'requirements' that an independent self-regulatory body should meet, including: independence of appointments and funding; a standards code; an arbitration service; and a speedy complaint-handling mechanism – crucially it must have the power to demand up-front, prominent apologies and impose million-pound fines.DAVID CAMERON

Leveson’s proposals are measured, reasonable and proportionate. We on this side unequivocally endorse… the principles set out and his central recommendations. We support this new system of regulation. We endorse [the] proposal that the criteria any new regulatory body must meet should be set out in statute. Lord Justice Leveson has, I believe, made every effort to meet the concerns of the industry. If we cannot achieve a comprehensive system involving all major newspapers, Lord Justice Leveson sets out the necessary alternative: direct statutory regulation.ED MILIBAND

Leveson has considered these issues at length. He has found that changing the law is the only way to guarantee a system of self-regulation which seeks to cover all of the press. And he explains why the system of sticks and carrots he proposes has to be recognised in statute. What is more, changing the law is the only way to give us all the assurance that the new regulator isn’t just independent for a few months or years, but is independent for good. Someone will need to check, periodically that the independence of the regulator hasn’t been weakened over time.NICK CLEGG

On the courage of their convictions

Let me be clear: a regulatory system that complies with Leveson principles should be put in place rapidly. While no one wants to see full statutory regulation, let me stress: the status quo is not an option. Be in no doubt – we should be determined to see Lord Justice Leveson’s principles implemented… the system of press regulation we have is badly broken – and has let down victims badly. Our responsibility is to fix this. The task for us now is to build this new system of press regulation that supports our great traditions of investigative journalism and of free speech but that protects the rights of the vulnerable and the innocent and commands the confidence of the whole country.DAVID CAMERON

After 70 years and 7 reports which have gone nowhere, now is the time to act. The case is compelling. The evidence is overwhelming. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make change the public can trust. There can be no more last chance saloons…On behalf of every decent British citizen who wants protection for people like the Dowlers. Who want a truly free press. A press that can expose abuse of power without abusing its own… we must act.ED MILIBAND

We mustn’t now prevaricate. I am impatient for reform. And, bluntly, nothing I have seen so far in this debate suggests to me we will find a better solution than the one which has been proposed. Nor do I draw any hope form the repeated failure of pure self-regulation that we’ve seen over the last 60 years. We need to get on with this without delay. We owe it to the victims of these scandals, who have already waited too long for us to do the right thing. Too long for an independent press watchdog in which they can put their trust. I am determined we do not make them wait any more.NICK CLEGG

This blog was written for Hacked Off by David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

Please support the victims of press abuse by signing the Hacked Off petition and asking your friends to do the same. Make sure that the recommendations from Leveson's Inquiry are listened to by those who have promised change.