Labour turns the heat on PM over Leveson

Labour is to draft its own Bill enshrining a new powerful press regulator in law, which it is prepared to put to a vote in the House of Commons.

Party sources have told The Independent that if the Government fails to bring forward legislation to provide a statutory underpinning for a new press complaints body, Labour would do so itself.

They said they had little confidence in promises made by the Prime Minister that the Government would examine how Lord Justice Leveson's recommendation could be framed in law, and feared it was being "designed to be unworkable".

Although Labour's legislation would not become law – even if it passed in the Commons – it would be an embarrassment to David Cameron and will put pressure on the Prime Minister ahead of a debate on the report in Parliament today.

More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the report to be implemented in full while the campaign group Hacked Off has written to MPs for support.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that up to 2,000 publications are prepared to sign up to a new tougher press regulator without the need for new legislation which could compel them to join. Editors will meet Mr Cameron to discuss the industry's proposal tomorrow.