UK Press Regulation Seen as Political Revenge for Exposing Scandals

Payback hidden behind the law

Labour MP and former journalist Meg Hillier has warned that some politicians may back statutory regulation as revenge for the expenses scandal.

The former junior minister told Press Gazette she does not support the statutory underpinning being called for by her party.

She also revealed the extent to which statute may be used as a form of vengeance by describing how one non-Labour MP recently told her that one "storm in a teacup" story had changed their view on regulation.

"IPSA [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority] had done this rather bizarre survey asking MPs what we should be paid," she explained, saying most did not respond.

"So this was published and papers reported it as: 'These fat cat MPs all think they should be paid 20 per cent more'. Which was not the case – but that was what the survey sort of suggested – it wasn't entirely accurate, it was an extrapolation from the survey.

"And this MP said, 'well… I wasn't going to vote for statutory underpinning, but I'm minded now to do so."