This year’s Excellence in Journalism Foundation awards ceremony is underway at the British Embassy in Budapest as I write. I felt rather honoured to be asked to act as Patron for these awards and to open tonight’s event. The Foundation honours quality journalism and champions press freedom, which are both issues that concern us – in the past we have shown commitment by supporting investigative journalism courses organised by Transparency International Hungary and Freedom House Europe. And I blogged a fortnight ago about World Press Freedom Day. So I am delighted to be associated with these awards which honour journalists, bloggers and media organisations and individuals – they are all very necessary to the strength of a free society.