
Lord David Hunt is set to be the next chairman of the Press Complaints Commission. Photo by JustaBoy.
The Press Standards Board of Finance (PressBoF) has appointed Lord David Hunt the next chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). Lord Hunt will take up his appointment on 17 October 2011, taking over from sitting chairman Baroness Buscombe who has led the commission since April 2009.
Currently chairman of the Financial Services Division at the law firm Beachcroft, Lord Hunt is a former Cabinet Minister and MP for Wirral and Wirral West.
He said: “The PCC already plays an invaluable role, delivering fast, free and fair treatment of complaints from members of the public, as and when a newspaper has overstepped the line. There is a real appetite for change, however, and it is my intention to drive forward the creation of a reinvigorated and respected standards body, funded by the industry but operationally independent from both the industry and the state.”
PressBoF chairman Lord Black of Brentwood said: “On behalf of my colleagues in the national and regional newspaper and magazine industry, I am delighted that Lord Hunt has accepted our invitation to become Chairman of the PCC. His appointment follows a rigorous selection process, including for the first time an independent assessment, which identified an extremely strong field of candidates.
David Hunt’s wide-ranging experience in politics, in the law and in regulation and above all his unshakeable commitment to the principles of press freedom and self-regulation make him the ideal person to lead the process of renewal and regeneration which is now essential. His commitment to making those changes is clear, and he will have the full support of the industry as he sets about this urgent task.”
Specialising in regulatory and administrative law, Lord Hunt has been a partner for over forty years at the international commercial law firm Beachcroft.














