THE chances of a last-minute deal on press regulation at Westminster have suffered a setback, with Labour making it clear it will not accept the Conservative plans for a Royal Charter and will go ahead with today's Commons vote.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller had hinted cross-party agreement might be possible but a top Labour source said it was "clear" it would not accept the Tories' proposal for a Royal Charter without legal underpinning. Any deal, they said, would be on the basis of Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's proposal.
"We are clear we are not going to accept their Royal Charter. Any agreement must be on the basis of our Royal Charter. We are planning to go ahead with the votes in the Commons," the source said.
While all three main parties now support a Royal Charter to create an independent regulator in response to the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry into press abuses, the Tories are against the Labour and LibDem proposal of this being underpinned by law.
Last week, all-party talks collapsed when Prime Minister David Cameron unexpectedly abandoned negotiations with Labour and the LibDems.
Supporters of the Lib-Lab proposal suggested they had enough Tory rebels to win today's Commons vote.
Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster, criticised Mr Cameron for breaking the "consensual approach" and noted some of the Bill's amendments "could potentially impact on Scotland and we will look at them carefully".
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont wants a Holyrood debate this week on Lord McCluskey's recommendations for the implementation of the report.
A spokesman for Mr Salmond insisted the "appropriate time" to discuss the Leveson issue was after the cross-party process had ended.
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