Legal action against Hain should be dropped - MPs

  • Wales
Peter Hain faces contempt charge over comments in his autobiography Credit: Biteback publishing

Over a hundred MPs have signed up to a call for the legal action against Neath MP Peter Hain to be dropped. Mr Hain faces prosecution for critical comments about a Northern Irish judge made in his recently-published autobiography. Conservative MP David Davis has tabled an Early Day Motion urging the Northern Ireland Attorney General to withdraw the contempt proceedings. Mr Davis says,

This is the text of the EDM:

It's understood those who've signed the EDM include former Chancellor Alistair Darling, former Home Secretary David Blunkett, former Welsh Secretary John Redwood and former Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley.

Mr Blunkett raised the case during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday (Wednesday). David Cameron said where possible such cases should 'stay out of the courts.'