This in from Andrew Turner’s office, in their own words. Ed
The Island’s MP has been named as a joint winner of the ‘2013 Parliamentarian of the Year’ award. The Spectator magazine – the oldest continuously published magazine in the English language – sponsor the competition and has never previously awarded the top accolade to more than one parliamentarian.
However, this year the, ‘the Glorious 15’, as they dubbed the MPs who voted in favour of press freedom were named joint winners in an event held at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Mr Turner said:
“I was surprised but delighted to receive this award – I’m only sorry that so few colleagues recognised the threat presented by bringing in political control of the press. We have had a free press for 300 years – it has been held up as a model around the world and it should have been fiercely guarded as one of our proudtest traditions.
“Instead, regulation of the Press has been introduced using a Royal Charter overseen by Privy Councillors; an idea cooked up over late night pizza in Ed Milliband’s office, with members of the ‘Hacked Off’ campaign. It has no democratic legitimacy at all.
“Politicians shouldn’t control the press – nor should the rich and famous, particularly those who have used the press to their own advantage. The job of a free press is to publish and be damned – not be fettered by politicians and judges. Of course they must behave responsibly and the vast majority of our press do. There are some terrible stories of phone hacking and other illegal activities, but they were carried out by a few journalists working for national tabloids – some are already in prison and others are on trial.
“In a silly knee-jerk response we have brought in laws that cover local newspapers and boat-building & cookery magazines – which have never done anything wrong. The new body set up by the press, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has powers to impose fines of up to £1m – even where there has been no complaint made. I’m afraid our press has been failed by a Parliament scarred by the MP expenses scandal and determined to be seen to be doing ‘something’ in the face of a determined campaign by Hacked Off – even if that something is wrong.
“It is time for the industry to tell the politicians to get lost and to demonstrate that they still retain their independence – Royal Charter or no Royal Charter!”
