The Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, has said today that the Government is considering not bringing into force the legislation which implements the Leveson recommendations. This would be an insult to the victims of press abuse and a plain breach of the promises repeatedly made to them by the Prime Minister. It would also be a breach of the cross-party" agreement on implementing Leveson reached in March 2013 and endorsed by Parliament.

Dr Evan Harris, Joint Directors of Hacked Off, said

“ Victims will be distressed and the public alarmed to hear that the Government is considering not keeping the promises it made to those innocent people whose lives have been destroyed by press misconduct, and reneging on the post-Leveson cross-party agreement signed by all the party leaders 30 months ago and passed overwhelmingly by Parliament.”

“We hope that on reflection the Prime Minister will remember what he pledged on oath at the Leveson Inquiry, and what he personally promised victims of the press. The public will never be convinced that our political leaders have ended their servile relationship to powerful press interests like Rupert Murdoch and the returning Rebekah Brooks, until the Leveson reforms are properly implemented”.