John Cleese repeats threat to leave UK as MPs reject new Leveson probe

John Cleese has again threatened to leave the UK after MPs decided not to go ahead with the second phase of the Leveson Inquiry.

Before a crucial Commons vote on the Government’s Data Protection Bill, the comedian said he would be “out of here” if the “corrupt” Prime Minister won the vote.

On Wednesday, MPs voted by 304 to 295 not to amend the Bill to establish a statutory inquiry dubbed Leveson Part Two.

After the vote, Cleese, a prominent supporter of the Hacked Off campaign group which calls for greater press regulation, hinted he would now leave the country.

Replying to a Twitter user who claimed “not one celeb has ever followed through on those type of threats”, the former Monty Python star wrote: “Just watch…”.

Reacting to the vote on Twitter, Culture Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the result as “a great day for a free and fair press”.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, who had led moves to amend the Data Protection Bill, said: “Very disappointed for the victims of phone-hacking and press abuse that we did not win the vote for Leveson 2.

“The battle goes on to keep our promise to them to get the truth they deserve and protection for victims in the future.”

Sir Brian Leveson was appointed in 2011 to oversee the original inquiry, which was launched in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.