War over the peace: Labour and Conservative counter-brief on Leveson deal

By Ian Dunt

Labour and the Conservatives were offering different takes on their own deal over press regulation this morning, after a gruelling five-and-a-half hour negotiation in Ed Miliband's office last night.

Most of the demands of the Liberal Democrat-Labour axis seem to have been accepted, but the parties changed the method by which the regulator would be set up so it would take place without a parliamentary vote.

It also appeared most of the demands of the Leveson inquiry which were accepted by Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg will also be introduced.

But party spokespeople were sent out to brief against each other this morning g, insisting their version of the royal charter had beaten off its challenger.

"There will be no statutory underpinning," media secretary Maria Miller told Radio 4's Today programme.

"The clause that would sit alongside charter doesn't make any change at all. It's a no change clause.

"We've got a royal charter which underpins self-regulation.

"There's a very clear acceptance from Labour, from Liberal Democrats, that the prime minister's royal charter is the right way forward and we could stop the extreme version of press regulation Labour offered."

Harriet Harman told the same programme there would be a "bit of law" to prevent the regulator being changed at the whim of ministers.

All parties agreed the regulator should be established by royal charter rather than statute. Royal charters are usually overseen by the privy council, which means they can be altered by ministers.

Under today's plans, the royal charter will only be able to be amended if there is agreement from two-thirds of the Commons. Negotiators are hoping the Lords will nod the changes through.

"I hope they agree to a bit of law which says this cannot be tampered with," Harman said.

"The idea is that we want it to have that affect without mentioning press regulation in law.

"It enables us not to be legislating for this but it has a legal underpinning effect."

The changes will entrench all royal charters – not just the one establishing a press regulator – in law. It will be included in the enterprise and regulatory reform bill which is passing through the Lords this afternoon.

The compromise means the Tories can claim to have stopped significant statutory regulation of the press.

It also appears Downing Street managed to get a general purpose clause introduced which would allow the regulator's recognition committee to rule it had failed.

Labour and the Lib Dems can argue they have managed to get most of Leveson's proposals past the Tories.

The press will not be able to veto appointments to the regulator and it will be able to direct how newspapers publish apologies, including their placement.

The regulator will have the final say over any changes to the code of conduct and is likely to be able to exercise discretion over which complaints from third parties it takes up.

The deal saves Cameron from what was expected to be a significant Commons defeat this evening. Around 20 Tory MPs were expected to join Lib Dem and Labour MPs in shooting down the Conservative plans for a royal charter.