The Rt Hon David Cameron MP

Cabinet Office

70 Whitehall

London SW1A 2AS

Date: 25^th April 2016

Dear Prime Minister,

I have contacted you on a number of occasions previously about press regulation and the importance of enacting the reforms proposed by Lord Leveson, so it’s disappointing that progress is still slow – and in some instances appears to be being blocked.

At the time of the hacking scandal you made some clear promises to victims of press abuse, to Parliament and to the British public. These included a commitment to deliver a regulatory system with real teeth; to set up a further stage of the Leveson inquiry in order to properly establish the scale of press criminality, who was responsible and who in the police and in politics helped to cover it up; and that the relationship between the media and politicians would change.

These last couple of weeks, I’ve had emails and letters from constituents worried that you are not keeping these promises.

In particular, they argue that by refusing to bring into effect (by issuing the commencement order) critical access-to-justice measure (Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act) you are failing in your commitment to give the Leveson regulatory system ‘real teeth’. My constituents are not impressed by the excuse that section 40 cannot come into effect until there is a "recognised regulator" in place.

I agree with the House of Lords Communication Committee assessment that “no regulatory body exists for the press that complies with the strict requirements for independence from publishers set out by Leveson. The recommended steps have not been taken to establish satisfactory whistle-blowing arrangements for journalists to speak out, or to set up an arbitration system for early resolution. IPSO does not comply with Leveson's independence requirements for the selection of board members or the requirements for detachment from its funding body (the Regulatory Funding Company) which retains ownership of the Editors' Code of Practice, against which press conduct is judged.”

However, the Government should be addressing this problem – not simply washing its hands and using the situation to justify inaction on publishers paying both sides' costs in a privacy or libel case, even if they win, if they not have previously offered a low-cost means of resolving the dispute.

My constituents are further concerned that you are indicating Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry might never happen. This breaches your promise that those implicated in hacking would be properly held to account and that the victims of the scandal would get justice. I appreciate that this second stage was initially put on hold until all legal proceedings linked to the phone-hacking scandal were completed; however, the major trials all concluded in 2014.

My constituents are upset too by reports that you and your ministers are once again cosying up to newspaper proprietors, attending their parties, holding meetings of which no proper records are kept and renewing old friendships with, for example, Rebekah Brooks. This is not what they understood by your promise that the relationship between politicians and the media would change.

It’s vital that we get the balance right between a free press and self-regulation backed by the law. Please keep your promises and continue to both drive forward the important changes required and ensure those responsible for hacking are held fully to account.

I look forward to your response, which I will share with my constituents.

Yours sincerely,