Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about press regulation and the police.

I understand your concerns about this issue, and I recognise that there are strongly held and passionate views.

While a free and fair press is vital to protecting democracy and holding the powerful to account, it is also crucial that the public are protected from being the subject of abusive press content.

The UK Government formally closed the Leveson Inquiry in March 2018, stating that the terms of reference for Part Two had largely been met. It has since stated that it believes Part One of the Inquiry and subsequent police investigations to have been comprehensive, and that those police officers and public servants who accepted corrupt payments have been held to account. It argues that reopening the Inquiry would not be appropriate, proportionate or in the public interest.

I note that after the conclusion of Part One of the Leveson Inquiry, several police investigations into illegal activity were established, which led to the convictions of more than 40 people, including 11 police officers and staff, 19 public officials and 10 journalists. There have also been reforms of policing practices, and the College of Policing published its Code of Ethics in 2014. This Code outlines standards expected of police officers, including honesty and integrity, and behaviours to undertake to maintain them.

As of February 2020, all police complaints are now handled under a new framework overseen by the Independent Office of Police Conduct.

Thank you once again for contacting me and for sharing your perspective. I hope all views on this matter will continue to be carefully considered.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP