An MHK suggested in Tynwald today that the media should be gagged.

Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) appeared to be struggling with the concept, generally accepted in modern democracies, of the freedom of the press.

He asked the Chief Minister: ’Given the importance of getting the correct message across, has the time arrived for the Chief Minister’s Office to retain editorial rights where interviews of national importance are given?’

Howard Quayle replied: ’I would love to live in a world where editorial rights could be retained.

’Sadly if I said to the likes of Panorama or Le Monde or whoever that I wanted to retain my editorial rights I don’t think I could print on Hansard what the answer would be!’

The exchange came in question time when Middle MHK Bill Shimmins asked the Chief Minister what actions he is taking to restore business confidence and the island’s reputation following the Panorama programme and other media coverage.

Mr Moorhouse subsequently contacted iomtoday to clarify that he would only support editorial rights being controlled by the Office of Chief Minister during a ’specific and limited case of extreme national importance’.