WHEN the government tries to gag the press - particularly when it is one which, in seeking power, preached openness - it ought to have a very good reason. So what lay behind Home Secretary Jack Straw's subsequently-thrown out attempt to stop newspapers printing details in advance of the report of the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence?

A breach of official secrecy?

A threat to national security?

Nothing of the kind.

It was just that this bossy, control-freak government was full of pique at having its spin-driven stage management of policy and events upstaged by the press bringing people the news first.

But what is so depressing about this behaviour is not just that it is typical of British government, but that it is typical ofthis government.

This dash by Mr Straw to get an injunction to prevent newspapers from reporting details of the Lawrence inquiry report four days before it was to be officially released was a manifestation of the obsession that governments in this country have with being in control of things - to the extent that they will make secrets of matters that are really nothing of the sort.

But what is sad is that Labour promised to be so different.

In Opposition, it talked many fine words about open government.

In power, it has turned out to be no different from the rest.

Indeed, it has turned out to be a lot worse.

For this is the government that rules by ministerial leaks - but only of what it wants people to hear.

It is the master of manipulation - with its spin doctors, carefully constructed sound bites, a Cabinet 'enforcer' and back-benchers dragooned to stay 'on message.'

But this is so contemptuous of parliamentary democracy and of the people who gave them power.

And this arrogant attitude - begotten not just by the massive majority it commands and by a neutralised and ineffective Opposition, but also by the authoritarian attitude adopted by the party leadership to snuff out criticism or dissent - is demonstrated by its recent deliberate steps to circumvent the Press that will not dance to its tune. Tony Blair, Jack Straw and the rest forget that a free press is one of the keystones of democracy and justice and that a gagged one is their enemy.

And if they need a reminder of this, they should ask murdered Stephen Lawrence's family from where they obtained the truth and may, hopefully, yet get justice.

It was not from politicians, the police or the courts but from the newspapers and if it had not been for the media the Stephen Lawrence affair would have been quietly buried.

It is high time the government came down off its high horse.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.