‍12 Years After the Leveson Report, YouGov Poll Reveals Overwhelming Public Support for Action on Press Standards and Leveson Two

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The poll, commissioned by Hacked Off, found:

1. A majority of the public support re-establishment of the Leveson Inquiry (52%).  Asked whether Part Two should be re-established, and excluding those who said “don’t know”, 80% of respondents backed Leveson Part Two, and only 20% opposed its re-establishment.
2. The public are as concerned as ever about press standards.  72% of those to express a view think it matters that some newspapers are not members of a Leveson-compliant regulator.  67% of those with a view believe the Government should do something to bring those newspapers into a Leveson-standard body – with new laws to compel the press to sign up given as the most popular solution (50% calling for direct laws of compulsion, with 27% calling for penalties for non-compliance and 13% calling for incentives).
3. The UK’s press is among the least trusted in Europe – but 28% of respondents said they would trust newspapers more if they were independently regulated.

In a joint statement, victims of press abuse Christine Flack and Mandy Garner said:‍

Everyday that some newspapers remain unregulated, they are able to bully, harass and abuse people.  Not in the public interest, but to sell more newspapers and make more money.

"This government must find the courage to stand up for people like us and end these abuses, so that no family in the future has to suffer as a result of the lawlessness and cruelty at some of the largest newspapers.

"This polling shows that the public are desperate for reform.  It's time the Government stopped listening to Rupert Murdoch, and started listening to us - and the majority of people in this country who share our concerns."

Independent regulation would increase trust in the industry and is supported by both those of us who have been victims of press abuse, and the National Union of Journalists.  This issue has never been more widely supported or more important."

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Use the button below to download the full results.