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The Chancellor yesterday sent the strongest signal yet that theGovernment will not adopt plans for regulating the Press thatstifle freedom of speech. George Osborne rejected proposals to separate news and comment, the‘kitemarking' of newspapers or allowing ‘classaction' complaints by offended groups. He also warned against attempting to draw up a code that definedwhat was in the national interest. Mr Osborne said that if the Leveson Inquiry came up with proposalsthat target print media but exclude the internet, everyone involvedwould have been wasting their time. His remarks echoed those of Education Secretary Michael Gove, whoinsisted press freedoms must be preserved at all costs and warnedLord Justice Leveson that any cure could prove ‘worse thanthe disease'. They suggest an emerging consensus among Toryministers appearing at the inquiry. On Thursday, David Cameron is also expected to ‘put down amarker' that the Government will not accept over-the-topproposals on press regulation. Lord Leveson said he had heard evidence from groups who felt‘very disadvantaged' by how they were portrayed in thePress, mentioning the disabled, migrants and those who changegender. Asked if he agreed there should be some mechanism for such groupsto complain about or prevent negative coverage, Mr Osborne replied:‘There are laws to prevent racial discrimination or sexualorientation discrimination. 'You mention immigrant groups – they are obviously some ofthe most vulnerable people in our society. Equally there's ahuge concern out there ... about immigration controls. ‘If that's not allowed to be aired, then I think westifle public debate.' He insisted it was vital that the Press could air views that werenot fashionable or shared by the Establishment – citing theexample of Eurosceptic opinion. He said that a decade ago it was regarded as ‘faintlyeccentric' to be against British membership of the euro, withsuch views disparaged by the BBC. But newspapers including the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph andThe Sun had campaigned against euro membership and contributed towhat ‘in hindsight was one of the most important economic andpolitical decisions' ever made by Britain. However, Mr Osborne said the Press Complaints Commission required a‘complete overhaul' and that victims of pressmistreatment needed ‘better redress'. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Dyeing Acrylic Fabric , China Cotton Poly Fabric for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Cotton Yarn Dyed Fabric.
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