Is freedom of the press safe in Sir Keir Starmer’s hands? In October 2024, Sir Keir Starmer wrote in The Sun that “journalism is the lifeblood of democracy” and his government would “always champion press freedoms”.   It was a nice soundbite – but as Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Keir set in motion Operation Elveden, the CPS’s pursuit of journalists accused of paying sources for information. After five years of dawn raids, arrests, dozens of charges and several trials, not a single journalist was convicted in court.   To mark our forthcoming publication of a powerful essay by former Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh about Sir Keir’s behaviour as DPP, the FSU is hosting a special panel discussion on the state of press freedom in Britain.   Trevor will be joined by the Evening Standard’s Anthony France, who was among those prosecuted, and Sir Geoffrey Cox KC, the former Attorney General who successfully defended Sun deputy editor Geoff Webster. The panel will be chaired by me.   This is an unmissable opportunity to hear from those who lived through one of the darkest chapters in recent British journalism and to assess the future of press freedom under a Starmer government.   The event is in central London on Monday 28th April at 7.30pm. In-person tickets can be purchased here, and FSU members can register to attend online using the link provided in the weekly update. The evening will also be recorded.