July 22, 2013

Page Three: Jane Garvey ‘wouldn’t have The Sun in the house’ but Cameron says ‘leave it to consumers’

David Cameron has said he does not support a ban on The Sun from using topless models on Page Three.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour today, the Prime Minister refused to categorise Page Three alongside online pornography.

He also declined to respond to presenter Jane Garvey’s suggestion that he should not allow The Sun inside his house.

“The fact is that in the end it’s an issue of personal choice whether people buy a newspaper or don’t buy a newspaper,” he said in the interview.

“We have to always ask the question, where should we regulate and where shouldn’t we regulate. And on this one I think probably better to leave it to the consumer rather than regulate.”

Garvey suggested in the interview that Cameron regulating online pornography but not Page Three might be seen as “double standards”.

She said: “I wouldn’t have The Sun in… my house. I very much doubt you’d have it in yours and let your daughters see it. But they might well be exposed to it somewhere else. Why don’t you support the cause of banning Page Three?”

Asked why he would not regulate, Cameron said: “For the reason I give. That I think this is an area where we should leave it to consumers to decide rather than to regulate.”

In the interview Garvey suggested that a lot of people would argue the page “infantilises men and objectifies women”.

Cameron said: “I think people are absolutely at liberty to make that argument. In the end… as politicians we have to decide… where’s the right place for regulation. Where’s the right place for legislation. Where’s the right place for consumers to decide.”