Police Surveillance of Journalists

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:48 pm on 17 July 2019.

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Photo of Nick Hurd Nick Hurd The Minister of State, Home Department, Minister of State (London) 12:48, 17 July 2019

I accept all that, coming from the authority of a highly distinguished former Secretary of State. I am entirely sincere, as are my colleagues, in taking this opportunity to reassert the importance of the freedom of the press and the protection of media freedoms, but we cannot in that process allow any sense that there is a blanket protection for legitimate investigation simply because of someone’s chosen profession. The processes need to be robust and open to criticism and debate, but the primacy of the free press and freedom of expression in this country is absolutely central to our democratic processes.