Only FOUR per cent of Brits believe the super-rich and wealthy – like tycoon Max Mosley – ‘should fund Press regulator’ and rate it low on priority list for 2017
A YouGov poll found the public were fed up of Government focusing on press regulation - and wanted Theresa May to work on Brexit plan instead
ONLY four per cent of Brits believe a press regulator should be funded by donations from the super-rich.
A YouGov poll found almost half believed the newspaper industry should cough up and fund themselves.
It came as wealthy tycoon Max Mosley – exposed by the Press for taking part in orgies with prostitutes – revealed he was prepared to fund a regulator long-term.
His comments raise further questions over the independence of Impress – a regulator set up by Mr Mosley’s family charity.
The Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust will provide funding of around £3.8m to cover the first four years of operation for the Impress regulator.
Asked if he’d fund it indefinitely in a BBC interview, he replied: “I don’t know about indefinitely but for a very long time.”
But a poll published today found the public were fed up of Government focusing on press regulation and put it at the bottom of a 16-topic priority list.
More than half believed ministers should be concentrating on Brexit, with just under half putting health, immigration and asylum and the economy top of the list.
Animal rights, the environment, family life and childcare, education, crime, airport expansion. housing, welfare benefits, pensions and transport were all ranked higher.
The survey, commissioned by the News Media association, also found more than two thirds of people believed social media platforms like Facebook should be subject to the same regulation as newspapers.
Lynne Anderson, News Media Association deputy chief executive, said: “This survey demonstrates conclusively that a regulatory regime led by Impress - which is completely reliant upon funding from one wealthy individual, Max Mosley, cannot command the confidence of the public.
Help fight the Government’s plan to silence the free Press – and save your own freedom
“IPSO is funded in its entirety by its member national, regional and local newspaper publishers which is the funding model the public want and expect from an industry which is committed to robust self-regulation.
“It is also abundantly clear from the poll that there is absolutely no public appetite for further activity from the Government in this area - such as the reopening of the Leveson Inquiry - when there are other much more pressing priorities at hand.”
The Government is currently consulting on whether to pass Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which could mean anyone could sue newspapers on a whim – and even if they lost – the newspapers would be forced to foot the bill.
Mr Mosley said he considered the proposals as “eminently fair”.
The Government is also consulting on whether the second part of the Leveson Inquiry into the relationship with the police and press should go ahead.
The first part including investigations cost taxpayers a staggering £50million.
Most newspapers and magazines have already signed up voluntarily to a tough system of independent self-regulation under IPSO.