Editorial: An end to Leveson within sight at last

It is more than three months since the Leveson Inquiry’s report was published.

A deal on media regulation between the three main parties was being discussed, but progress was painfully slow. Now, David Cameron has said “enough” and Tory plans for a new regime backed by Royal Charter will go to the Commons on Monday.

Cynics might suggest that the Prime Minister made the move in the knowledge that Labour would have forced the issue anyway – by tabling “Leveson” amendments to an unrelated Bill. This way, though, Mr Cameron gets to show leadership, and he can say he did his best to avoid the statutory solution proposed by Leveson and opposed by the press.

This newspaper recently backed calls for a charter, underpinned by a short statute. With the Prime Minister still willing to talk, there is time for that compromise to be achieved. With so urgent a need for a tougher system of media regulation, a split between politicians and the press helps no one.