Staying Power

Last July, I wrote about the curious news cycle surrounding the story of NOTW phone tapping.

It was no surprise News International papers did not touch it but then neither did the Telegraph or the Mail. The BBC ran a sensational story about Rebekah Wade being bugged which immediately disappeared.

Now the issue has been rejuvenated following an interview in the New York Times of former Screws hack, Sean Hoare. And we see the pattern repeating itself with certain titles scrupulously not reporting this major story.

The papers probably have different motives; editors in the Murdoch stable are more anxious about accusations of illegality and denials of journalistic malfeasance by their sister paper NOTW. Others simply don't wish to expose the PM's Comms supremo Andy Coulson and formr editor of NOTW, to any more damaging allegations.

We already know hundreds of prominent people had their mobile phones tapped illegally. Some like Max Clifford and PFA chair Gordon Taylor were paid off handsomely. John Prescott was a highly likely candidate for being bugged but finds the Met Police won't tell him whether he was or not.

If they think for a minute JP's loss of Ministerial status in May has diminished his ability to get to the airwaves and embarass them, then the Plod are very much mistaken. The entire behaviour of senior Met officers in the context of this inquiry has been bizarre.

They appear to be covering for the unsatisfactory level of scrutiny they applied to general journalistic practise at NOTW following the conviction and imprisonment of former hack Glenn Mulcaire. It must be at least doubtful he was the only one carrying out all the phone taps so others higher up still have questions to answer about how much was authorised, by whom and to what level. The unfortunate impression the Met are giving is protecting the Tory's press secretary.

The police and No 10 all point incessantly to "no new evidence". Tory Minister, Alan Duncan, listed all parties who agreed there was nothing more to investigate including the less than impartial "News International lawyers."

The words of Sean Hoare to the NYT were dismissed out of hand because of his previous problems with drink and drugs as if he were still drunk and stoned now. I heard him interviewed and he sounded quite lucid and I don't think he was hallucinating when he said he was expected to access celebrities' voicemail.

Labour have not gained much political capital from some of the Cons policy slip ups but here is a golden chance to get at Cameron's cabal. Prescott means it when he says he will initiate a judicial review if the matter is not progressed. That's what this scandal needs, a proper court case when Coulson can be put on the stand under oath.