Questions raised over links between David Cameron's patronage of charity and press regulation
Questions have been raised over links between Prime Minister David Cameron’s patronage of a charity and press regulation after it emerged an “administrative oversight” had prevented him declaring his position.
Patron: Questions have been raised over Cameron's charity links
Cameron is a patron of the Dishaa Venture, a charity which aims to build links between India and Britain, but this was only declared in the latest register of ministerial interests instead of the one before.
The patronage could be seen as controversial because Dishaa Venture is an initiative run by an organisation called Common Purpose, and it has been suggested that there are links between Common Purpose and the campaign for press regulation, the Telegraph reports.
According to the paper, founder and CEO of Common Purpose Julia Middleton and Sir David Bell, trustee and former chairman, set up the Media Standards Trust in 2006.
Later, in 2011, a director of the Media Standards Trust, Martin Moore, helped found press regulation campaign group Hacked Off.
When the Leveson Inquiry was launched, Sir David Bell was made one of the assessors to the Leveson panel.
Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies told the Telegraph that Common Purpose was a “secretive organisation” that David Cameron should be wary of.
“They are trying to get their tentacles into every nook and cranny of the Establishment to pursue their Leftist, pro-European political agenda,” he added.
However, a spokesman for Common Purpose rubbished the claims, saying: “Nobody from Common Purpose has had any discussions with Mr Cameron about the Leveson Inquiry, regulation of the press, or the Information Commissioner, and nor would there have been any reason for them to do so.”