Alexander Lebedev kicked off this year’s Society of Editors conference in Glasgow last night with an impassioned defence of independent journalism.

Delivering the annual Society of Editors lecture, the Russian owner of the London Evening Standard contrasted the UK’s press freedoms with the repressive regime under which he grew up in which most so-called journalism was “lies.”

He told the industry gathering it had taught him the value of independent journalism as a means of “shining light in dark places.”

And revealing he had taken no part the Standard’s decision over which party to support at the General Election in May, he pledged that he will never interfere in the paper’s editorial policy.

“With the Evening Standard, the editor Geordie Greig only telephoned me the day before the General Election to tell me which party his paper was going to support,” he said.

“I do not want to interfere. I want facts and arguments to be freed from control. I knew I did not, and do not want to live in a country with the same restrictions and conditions I had experienced as a young man.

“I was essentially brought up in a country where an awful lot of journalism was a bunch of lies.

“No-one here at this conference takes for granted the freedom of the press. But it is always worth noting that such freedoms can crumble and must be fought for and protected.”

Mr Lebedev also praised the role of the UK press in exposing the MPs expenses scandal.

“The whole world was astonished and full of admiration for the way British newspapers held to account your MPs for their corrupt behaviour over expenses,” he said.

Mr Lebedev revealed that his decision to take the Standard free had tripled its circulation its 700,000.

“We used to sell 700 copies every night at Oxford Circus tube station. Today we distribute at that same underground station 32,000 copies every single night.”