- Prime Minister has said it is not a ‘priority’ to kickstart second stage of inquiry
- It had been triggered by journalists hacking the phone of a murdered schoolgirl
- The second part would have looked into any alleged criminal wrongdoing
Keir Starmer has ruled out a fresh inquiry into Press ethics and practices.
The Prime Minister said it was not a ‘priority’ for the Government to kickstart the second half of the Leveson Inquiry into alleged media wrongdoing.
The first section, chaired by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, was launched after it emerged journalists at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
The inquiry reported in 2012 that there was no widespread corruption of police by the Press.
It was critical of the behaviour of some journalists and recommended the creation of an independent regulator.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was not a ‘priority’ for the Government to kickstart the second half of the Leveson Inquiry into alleged media wrongdoing
The first section of the inquiry into press ethics had been chaired by Lord Justice Brian Leveson
The inquiry was launched after it emerged journalists at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper had hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler
Newspapers refused to cooperate with the state-backed watchdog and instead set up their own independent alternative.
The second planned part of the inquiry, into alleged criminal wrongdoing, was dropped by the Tories in 2018.
And Sir Keir said he had no plans to resurrect it, despite calls from campaigners and some Labour MPs.
He said yesterday: ‘We set out in our manifesto our programme for action for this Government.
‘That clearly sets out our priorities, and the second half of Leveson is not among them.
‘Given the mess we have inherited, and we are finding more of it every day, it is really important that we keep to our priorities.’