Politicians 'must not treat press barons as lepers'

Politicians should continue to meet newspaper proprietors and not treat them as "lepers" despite the concerns raised by the phone-hacking scandal, the chairman of the Evening Standard
and The Independent said today.

Evgeny Lebedev said that he did not see "anything wrong" with politicians seeking advice from a newspaper owner. He added that such discussions could lead to a "very worthwhile exchange of ideas and information" and that the only problem would be if a proprietor sought to further a commercial interest by influencing policy.

Mr Lebedev's comments, in an interview with The Times, follow criticism of the influence exerted by Rupert Murdoch's media empire over British politics and the frequent meetings between his editors and premiers including Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

The issue is being examined by Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards. Mr Lebedev, who with his father Alexander bought the Standard in 2009, said proprietors should work together to submit positive proposals to the inquiry in support of press freedom.