The Society of Editors has said that it is ‘disappointed’ by the Government’s decision not to expedite further legislation to tackle Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in the upcoming parliamentary session.
The decision, confirmed today as part of the government’s official response to the House of Lords Future of News Inquiry, confirmed that new legislation to tackle the problem would not be prioritised despite a pledge by the then Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy during the election campaign that a ban on SLAPPs would form part of Labour’s strategy to shut down the “London laundromat” of dirty money in the UK.
The government’s response also confirmed that while “the financial health and sustainability of local journalism” remains of “particular concern” to the government it continued to consider options including “financial support through new or existing tax reliefs” but had to be “mindful of the current fiscal climate”.
Responding to the news, Dawn Alford, Executive Director of the Society of Editors said: “While we welcome the government’s ongoing consideration of how to support the local and regional journalism industry, today’s response to the House of Lords Future of News report is both disappointing and lack-lustre.
“There remains an urgent need for expedited legislation to put an end to the ability of the rich and powerful to weaponise legislation to silence their critics and, in the absence of such safeguards, investigative journalism and the public’s right to know continues to be at risk.”
The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published its Future of News Report in November 2024 and recommendations, supported by the Society, included championing responsible AI through mutually beneficial deals between news platforms; supporting the local media through tax breaks for hiring local journalists; an expanded Local Democracy Reporting Service and additional legislation to tackle SLAPPs.
Responding to the publication today of the government’s response to its report, Baroness Tina Stowell, who chaired the Future of News inquiry, said the government’s response “failed to reflect the urgency and severity of the situation” facing the UK’s news media environment.
She added: “The Government’s assertion that it is ‘committed to upholding justice and tackling Slapps to protect investigative journalism and free speech’ is undermined by its apparent determination not to legislate in this area.”
