NEWSPAPERS for me constitute a very important part of a democratic society so I was relieved to see the attempt by Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalists MPs to try and bring them under further state regulation in general and in particularly to make them liable for the legal costs of successful and unsuccessful litigants, a directive that would have gone against all the tenants of natural justice.

Newspapers play a critical role in holding local and national politician to account we are going to miss them terribly if they disappear.

With technological changes making newspapers business model extremely difficult, the passing of Leveson part two would have delivered a hammer blow to their sustainability.

Cllr Martyn Cox

Westhoughton North and Chew Moor