David Cameron faced a revolt over the Leveson report today as a group of Tories demanded a free vote on the issue.
Backers of new laws claim up to 75 Conservatives would support the controversial idea, which could be enough to defeat the Prime Minister if Labour and the Liberal Democrats were united.
Downing Street has so far refused to say if a free vote will be allowed or not. The Prime Minister will tomorrow join a meeting of editors to urge them to unite behind setting up an independent regulator in the hope of making new laws unnecessary.
But Tory MP George Eustice said Mr Cameron should let MPs decide. “It would be wrong for MPs to be gagged or muzzled in a debate about free speech,” he said. “This debate is about how best to protect free speech so there must be a free vote in parliament.
Fellow Tory Mike Weatherly said: “It is essential that parliament is allowed a free vote, rather than whipped through party lines, which will be seen as pushing one view.”
The rebels say the newspaper industry should be given six weeks to come up with an independent regulator plan, in line with the Leveson plan. There would then be a binding vote in January on whether it was “necessary” for Parliament to pass statutory underpinning laws.
Downing Street announced that the PM will drop in on a meeting tomorrow of editors hosted by Culture Secretary Maria Miller to press his wish for the industry to take the lead urgently.
