Hacked Off today reacted to speculation in iNews that part two of the Leveson Inquiry will not take place, and that Labour would betray the victims of the press.  The article was based on a House magazine interview with the new Culture Secretary in which she allegedly dropped "hints" that Part Two would not go ahead.  However, extracts of the interview repeated in the article do not appear to justify the I's interpretation.

In the story, all Nandy is said to have stated (of Leveson Part Two) is: “Well, it’s not something that we committed to in the manifesto."

In fact, most of the Government's agenda - as set out in the King's Speech and otherwise - was not in the manifesto. The paper does not quote Nandy as ruling out Leveson 2 at all and, indeed, on regulation she appears to be making the case for reform in the very limited extracts of the interview so far published. The Labour Party has given cast iron commitments to proceeding with Leveson Part Two and enacting the reforms on regulation recommended in Part One.  Any new position would represent a betrayal of its commitments to victims of the press. For over 12 years the party has been committed to holding Leveson 2 which would delve further into the unlawful practices in newspapers and the relationship between the press and the police.

Hacked Off CEO Nathan Sparkes reacted to the article and said:

The Labour Party made cast-iron commitments to the victims of the phone hacking and press abuse scandals in 2012 to proceed with Leveson Part Two and introduce independent regulation.  Breaking those promises and throwing hundreds of ordinary people abused by newspaper groups under the bus would represent a capitulation to the press barons, and a total failure of integrity at Number 10.

On speculation about a "deal" between News UK and Labour, he added,

The test of whether this Government is on the side of the British people, who deserve a trustworthy and independently regulated press, or the handful of individuals who own newspaper corporations, will be the action they take in Government over the next five years - not unattributed briefings, likely to have originated with News UK executives fretting about what Leveson Part Two might uncover.