The Coalition split over Leveson

I’m informed by someone involved in the coalition negotiations on the issue that the reason the Liberal Democrats want to be able to make their own statement on the Leveson Report is that they intend to back the rapid creation of a statutory back-stop for newspaper regulation. By contrast, I hear that David Cameron doesn’t want to back any press law, at least for now.

The key moment tomorrow will come with a meeting of the Cabinet’s coalition committee at noon. It is scheduled for an hour and is meant to thrash out whether a common position can be agreed. Michael Gove, the government’s most passionate opponent of statutory regulation, is a member of it as are all five Liberal Democrat Cabinet Ministers and David Laws.

I’m also informed that Harriet Harman and Maria Miller will meet immediately after the statement tomorrow to discuss cross-party talks on the inquiry.