Clegg:- End of a Dictatorship

The best kept secret that the newspapers have is that 75% of Liberal Democrat manifesto pledges are being implemented.

Seventy-five percent! That's not just a figure that we've come up with ourselves; it comes out of independent analysis for the BBC.

Policies like:

•  making the tax system fairer for the lowest paid by raising the personal allowance threshold whilst increasing tax on capital gains,

•  creating a Green Investment Bank and securing a Green Deal to reduce the UK 's carbon emissions and make sure that we protect our planet for the sake of future generations

•  increasing the state pension and reinstating the earnings link, to create a fairer system that improves the support we provide to older people

If I was the suspicious type, I would swear that there are people out there who are happy to see the policies reported in the papers, but not at all keen to admit that they were all down to us - that if we hadn't been there, these changes wouldn't be happening.

Nick Clegg has called for a major shakeup of British media ownership laws in the wake of the Murdoch scandal, including far more restrictive controls on media ownership, as well as tighter definitions of what constitutes a fit and proper person to run broadcasting bodies.

In a speech prepared with Vince Cable, the deputy prime minister made it clear he was determined to use the judicial inquiry into the scandal to press for major changes in the media landscape, including inserting "some numbers" in terms of excessive media concentration so as to give definition to currently vague concepts like media plurality.

Cable, the business secretary – whom David Cameron stripped of responsibility for media regulation at Christmas after his private remarks "declaring war" on the Murdoch empire were broadcast – said he felt some private satisfaction at the turn of this week's events.

Cable also revealed that in referring the BSkyB bid to Ofcom last year he had overruled "very strong advice both inside and outside Whitehall to just let it through on the grounds that there was not really a case to answer and there would be strong legal reviews".

He described the atmosphere at Westminster as "a little like an end to the dictatorship when everyone suddenly discovers they were against the dictator".

Setting out a Liberal Democrat agenda for media reform, Clegg in a speech to the Institute of Government said he also wanted clearer definition on whether organisations, as well as individuals, could be deemed as not "fit and proper" to run media organisations. He said at present media lawyers disagreed on this issue.
He said the "increasing diversification of media sources does raise new issues over cross-media ownership, which is something the inquiry will now look at".
He also complained "the current plurality test can be used to prevent media mergers when they are deemed to undermine the public interest", but said this was never developed as a comprehensive safeguard.
The "plurality test can only be applied at the point of mergers or acquisitions", but does not cover companies which expand their market share gradually, over time, by natural growth, he said.
Clegg also suggested changes to the Competition Commission to report on public interest issues, which could include media plurality, in the same way as it can now for mergers.
The prospect of a tighter regulatory environment is certain to further discourage the Murdochs from continuing with major investments in the UK .
Clegg also argued the inquiry would have to look at corporate governance in media groups.