Simon Kelner, like Paul Dacre and Kelvin MacKenzie, views the setting up of the Leveson inquiry as an act of self-interest by the prime minister.
He accused David Cameron of being motivated by a desire to deflect attention away from his own involvement with Rupert Murdoch and his decision to appoint Andy Coulson as his communications chief.
Kelner, speaking in Dublin at a journalism awards ceremony, argued that the British political establishment was going after the press because of its discomfort over the expenses revelations by the Daily Telegraph.
The former Independent editor has also attacked the Press Complaints Commission of being "scandalously asleep at the wheel" when confronted by phone hacking allegations.
But he thought the Metropolitan police was ultimately at fault for not investigating the scandal properly.
Kelner, who was addressing the inaugural National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) journalism awards, maintained that press self-regulation was not perfect but state regulation was not the answer either.
Source: Irish Times
