Punish hacks for breaking news, says MP
By Ned Simons - 23rd June 2011
Political journalists who reveal government policies before they are announced in the Commons based on briefings from the government should be banned from Parliament, Chris Bryant has said.
The Labour MP said the government was "regularly briefing the press before briefing the House of Commons" on policy changes and argued it was not just minister's who were to blame.
"This is a question not only of supply but of demand," he told the Speaker John Bercow. "Might I suggest that any journalist whom you find has written an article saying, 'Tomorrow, the government will announce that…' should have their pass withdrawn so that they cannot work in the House any longer?"
Bercow told Bryant that he was "extremely naughty" to tempt him in that way. He said it was "extremely important that the responsibility of government to explain and answer first to Parliament is accepted".
Earlier today Tory Philip Hollobone criticised what he called the "new construct for the release of government information—namely, a written ministerial statement, a press conference and then an oral statement to this House?"
Last week the changes to the controversial Health and Social Care Bill were first announced in a WMS, then presented in a press conference held by David Cameon, Nick Clegg and Andrew Lansley, before finally being read out to MPs in the Commons.
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