While Govey argued for the virtue of the status quo, former key allies were being arrested and charged with serious offences. Rebecca Brooks faces three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of Justice and Andy Coulson was charged perjury by Stratchclyde police yesterday. In both cases convictions would routinely result in imprisonment.
Gove thought he should bring the Inquiry to its senses and elucidate on what would be lost in pursuit of media regulating. He appeared to be advocating the abolition of the PCC and having no regs at all. He also spoke about the behaviour of journalists as if they were all economics editors at the Times when Leveson has been addressing the most salacious and aggressive variety which dominated the business.
Brian Leveson was pretty astonished at Govey's ethos and arrogance,"Mr Gove, I do not need to be told about the importance of freedom of speech, I really don't." before reminding him of the type of cases they had heard involving the Dowler family, Cheryl Gascoigne, Charlotte Church, Sienna Miller...Not to mention e-mail hacking at the Times and then obfuscating about it to the court.
He may be feeling pretty puffed up after his terribly hammy performance but next under oath is the wide-eyed Jeremy Hunt. After we know there were interventions when he said there none, and a confirmed view on BskyB takeover when he said there wasn't, Hunt's career will not see next week. And all the dreadful developments for Tory High Command all point directly at the judgement at the PM.
Maybe Gove was finding solace in Dave's discomfort too.
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