Bryant has rejected Lord Hunt's calls for reform of the PCC, favouring the creation of an entirely new body
MP Chris Bryant has called for a new regulator of the press which is "completely independent" of the press and parliament, telling MPs that self regulation is "long past last chance saloon" and has "had its last gin and tonic".
In a media regulation debate today Bryant, who received £30,000 in damages from News International, called for a new body to regulate the press which would not be just "the PCC dressed up in a new fur coat".
He said the new body should feature an independent chairman who is "not a member of the legislature" and "certainly not a journalist", with the "power to enforce redress" and issue fines.
"Ofcom is not that bad a model for us to pursue," he said, adding that it is "time we had a new body that's completely independent."
During the debate members also discussed proposals put forward by PCC chairman Lord Hunt, which he outlined to the Leveson inquiry earlier this month, in particular the idea of members entering into a contractual agreement.
Bryant said he did not "see how you can proceed in that way", while MP Helen Goodman said the proposal "does not have the support of her Majesty's opposition".
Culture minister Ed Vaizey said he has "ruled nothing out" and is "not in the business of pre-empting" the Leveson inquiry.
During his opening speech in the debate Bryant called for a number of changes to the system of regulation, as well as wider issues, such as for powers to be handed to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide when not to prosecute in media cases.
"There will be times when a journalist will break the law, rightly break the law, because there's a greater criminality to be detected," he said.
"I think that should be manifestly available to the Crown Prosecution Service under the Director of Public Prosecutions."
He also called for a cheaper way for "legal redress" to be sought through the courts system.
"I think we need both for newspapers' sake and ordinary members of the public, a cheaper way of doing this," he said, suggesting "a small claims court" which could cap awards at "£20,000, £25,000".
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