SHADOWCulture Secretary Ivan Lewis delivered a withering attack on the Conservatives and the Murdoch empire at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool yesterday.

The Bury South MP called on Prime Minister David Cameron to “come clean” over the reasons why he hired former News of the World editor Andy Coulson.

Mr Lewis, whose constituency covers Radcliffe, said: “Mr Cameron, I believe in second chances too. So, let me give you another chance to level with the British people.

“Isn’t it time you and George Osborne came clean about why you appointed Andy Coulson in the first place and, despite numerous warnings, took him to the heart of our democracy at No 10 Downing Street?”

He also said a commercial organisation should never again have so much power and control over the media.

Mr Lewis added Labour would introduce new cross-media ownership laws in a bid to prevent this.

He said: “In Britain a free press is non-negotiable.

It was brilliant investigative journalism, primarily by The Guardian, which forced a reopening of the police investigation when too many vested interests simply hoped it would go away.

“But with freedom also comes responsibility.

“Neither the current broken system of selfregulation, or state oversight, will achieve the right balance.”

Mr Lewis said when newspapers make highprofile mistakes, their apologies should be given the same prominence.

The MP also praised former Labour MP John Prescott for the part he played in helping to expose the phone hacking scandal.

Mr Lewis told the conference: “Please join me in paying tribute to the courage and tenacity of Tom Watson, Chris Bryant and John Prescott for the service they have done our country in exposing the phone hacking scandal.

“Let us recognise that when the country reacted with revulsion to the news Milly Dowler’s phone had been hacked, while the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister dithered, it was our leader Ed Miliband who day after day provided the leadership which was needed and spoke for the nation when he said, enough is enough.”