The paedophile Pandora’s Box will be opened to give up its vile secrets.

If the inquiry does its job properly, we’ll discover the names of the political Rolf Harrises, Jimmy Saviles, Stuart Halls and Max Cliffords who were disgracefully protected by the establishment.

The resistance of David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May to a Hillsborough-style probe was infuriating and yesterday’s U-turn is a victory for public pressure.

It is a vindication of Labour MP Tom Watson who was sneered at in October 2012 when he demanded an investigation into a paedophile.

It is a feather in the cap of his colleague, MP Simon Danczuk, who unmasked Rochdale abuser Cyril Smith then widened his targets.

It is a tribute to the survivors who refuse to be intimidated by their tormentors and bravely come forward. And it is a tribute to a free press that challenged official stonewalling and refused to be cowed by expensive legal threats.

The MPs who speak out in the House of Commons enjoy the protection of Parliamentary privilege, which means they cannot be sued.

In the media we have no such sanctuary and powerful people with much to hide are only too happy to threaten ruinous court action and show no qualms about lying on oath.

Laws exist to nail wrongdoing by the media, as proved by the jailing of Cameron’s spinner Andy Coulson.

But instead of seeking to impose state regulation on the press, politicians should be championing a US free speech First Amendment.

Because the big winners when newspapers and MPs are gagged are evil people responsible for evil deeds.