Cameron defies Leveson over new press laws

A major inquiry called for laws to underpin a tougher watchdog for Britain’s “outrageous” newspapers in a verdict that sets up prime minister David Cameron for a bruising political battle.

Senior judge Brian Leveson, who led an eight- month inquiry sparked by the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World, said there should be an independent self-regulatory body backed by legislation.

But Cameron said he had “serious concerns and misgivings” about any statutory change, setting him at odds with not only his junior coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, but also the Labour opposition and many hacking victims.