David Cameron made a mistake trying to enforce first press laws in 300 years, says former aide

DAVID Cameron was wrong to try to enforce the first press laws in 300 years, his own former media minister has admitted.

Senior Tory MP Ed Vaizey – who helped draw up the legislation four years ago - revealed he has U-turned after newspapers proved they can regulate themselves with a tough new watchdog.

The intervention comes as Government consultation closes today on whether to implement the bitterly criticised ‘Section 40’ plan.

Under it, newspapers will be have to pay the libel costs of any accuser even if they win – driving many to ruin – if they refuse to sign up to a state-backed regulator.

Mr Vaizey told The Sun last night: “In retrospect, Section 40 was a mistake. At the time, everybody agreed that press self-regulation needed to be strengthened.

“But that has now happened with IPSO.

“Unfortunately we boxed ourselves in with a statutory solution, which in light of today’s circumstances is not the right way forward.”

Mr Vaizey added: “We need to find a way forward that does not penalise the press with libel costs which will in effect shut down attempts to hold the powerful to account.”

Newspapers also made their own final pleas yesterday for Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to scrap the new law – dubbed “blackmail”.

It also emerged yesterday that the millionaire businessman who wants to fund a rival state-backed regulator had far-right leanings as a younger man.

Impress bankroller Max Mosley - son of a British fascist leader Oswald Mosley – sent a racist letter to The Times in 1962 calling for an end to “coloured immigration”.