Members of Liberal Democrats vote

Members of Liberal Democrats vote on a motion at the party conference

Credit: By Dave Radcliffe, Liberal Democrats on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

The Liberal Democrat conference today (19 September) called for "a radical overhaul" of the Press Complaints Commission, as part of a unanimously passed motion on phone hacking.

As part of the motion, which was passed by the conference today, the Liberal Democrats also called for "fit and proper" media ownership rules to be strengthened, the introduction of custodial sentences for those who breach section 55 of the Data Protection Act and more effective defences for newspapers in libel cases with a public interest.

Co-chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Don Foster said media power must become "more transparent, scrutinised and dispersed".

"No longer can we accept a regulator that works for the benefit of the press, rather than the public," he said.

"We have heard enough empty condemnations from politicians who used to be in bed with press barons. Now is the time for reform. Media power must become more transparent, scrutinised, and dispersed.

"Liberal Democrats have made clear that the scandal won't truly be over until there is fundamental change in how the media is run."

The Lib Dem motion follows similar calls for reform of the PCC earlier this year by Labour leader Ed Miliband and prime minister David Cameron.

In July Miliband called for "wholesale reform of our system of regulation", adding that the PCC "has failed".

Cameron also accused the PCC of having failed and of lacking in public confidence.

At the time the PCC said the phone-hacking scandal should prompt a reform of the industry.

This would include the PCC's own constitution and funding arrangements, the range of sanctions available to it, and its practical independence.

In a statement the PCC said: "It is clearly not correct to state that the present PCC works for the benefit of the press and not the public.

"A clear majority of Commissioners are public rather than editorial members (10, as opposed to 7), and none of the PCC Secretariat has ever been employed as a journalist.

"The PCC operates independently of the industry and sees its role as offering an important (free) public service, available to everyone. The thousands of ordinary people who use the PCC’s services each year record high levels of satisfaction with our service."

But a spokesman added that the PCC welcomes the Lib Dem commitment to reform of the PCC.

"The PCC itself has previously announced that its public members will lead a review of all aspects of press regulation in its current form, which will be designed to ensure that public confidence is enhanced.

"The Commission is currently reviewing its constitution and funding arrangements, the range of sanctions available to it, and its practical independence and structures, in order to bring about fundamental and positive reform.

"It will also of course engage with the Leveson Inquiry to help it identify the features of the current system that should be preserved and bolstered for the future."
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