PRESS FREEDOM

When the prime minister, David Cameron, announced last week that proper regulation of the press in the UK will be introduced in the wake of the phone-hacking scandals, two newspapers got straight on the phone to 10 Downing Street to whinge their heads off about the proposed regulatory body.

Those papers were the Mail and the Telegraph. Why, we might wonder, are those two right-wing papers so opposed to any form of meaningful press regulation?

Well, the Mail was heavily criticised by the Information Commissioner a few years ago for its eagerness to acquire confidential personal information by illegal means. But, more importantly, neither paper wants to see an end to its freedom to publish made-up, inaccurate and grossly misleading stories.

It's no coincidence that both the Mail and the Telegraph have a shameful track record of publishing absolute nonsense concerning green energy, renewables and, in particular, wind power. Even today, Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, was obliged to respond to a hysterical campaign of lies, launched by those two offending newspaper groups, regarding "green taxes". The Mail and the Telegraph are trying to pretend that the costs of renewable energy are going to lead to a 30% hike in electricity bills. Not true, but why let simple facts get in the way of a story guaranteed to get middle class hackles raised?

Proper regulation of the press is just one of the desirable outcomes of the Murdoch debacle. Basically, the UK has become a country which feeds on lies, false stories and outrageous propaganda. Bring in proper regulation, and it will be difficult for papers like the Mail and the Telegraph to continue their demented anti-renewables stance. At least, they'll have to base their stories on facts, and not total garbage.

That can be nothing but good news for supporters of wind energy. Under the Murdoch reign of terror, it has become commonplace in Britain for he who lies loudest to win the argument - a tactic deployed by nimby groups like VVASP in place of balanced, reasoned and evidence-based campaigns. By indulging in absolutely irresponsible anti-windfarm proganda, right-wing rags have given dishonest nimby groups no end of fake ammunition. That cannot continue once real regulation of the press has been introduced. The nimbies will be deprived of the fountains of lies which have allowed them to mislead themselves, each other and everybody else who will listen to them.

This means that a golden opportunity to turn Britain back into a country in which sensible, sober debate is possible, and in which lies will be exposed for what they are. That can only be a good thing. Starved of their regular drip-feed of anti-windfarm gibberish, groups like VVASP will be forced to base their anti-windfarm arguments on reality, and not the fog of lies published by treacherous and wayward right-wing rags. And once an anti-windfarm campaign is exposed to the clear light of reality, it quickly emerges as selfish, foolish and wrong.

The events of the past week should be welcomed as a big step closer to a Britain governed by facts and rational debate, rather than lies, bullying and thuggish insanity.

Good news for windfarms, then.