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Home Secretary highlights local papers' importance to democracy

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has highlighted the importance of local newspapers to democracy at a lunch attended by political journalists, editors and chief executives from the regional press.

The MP was the guest speaker at the Newspaper Conference Annual Lunch, organised by the Newspaper Society, and said it was important to remember that in all the challenges to democracy there are many aspects in which local papers are the answer to the problems that exist.

He said: “You report locally. You are very widely read.

“[The regional press is] also a very vital and developing area…. In the changing and restructuring of the communications world which is taking place, I have not got the slightest doubt that your papers have a vitally important role to play.

“It’s going to be a very interesting and complicated political era over the next three or four years. And your role in making it real is very important and very positive, being on the pulse of local debate in your communities and holding your local elected representatives to account.”

The event was also attended by representatives from government, the royal households and advertising agencies, and is the main event of the year for the Newspaper Conference which is made up of political and London correspondents from regional titles.

Barnsley Chronicle chairman and managing director Sir Nicholas Hewitt, president of the Newspaper Society, said: “Home affairs are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, following the attacks on London this July.

“People from all over the UK were affected and are still concerned about the implications to their own personal safety.

“These issues can only be touched upon by the national press. It is the local newspapers that are able to look in depth at the individual, local concerns expressed by local people across the UK.”