A headache for Cameron and Coulson

Vulture

The 'independently wealthy' (as the Telegraph calls him ['stinky rich' to the rest of us]) Dave does have an unfortunate habit of having sleazeballs around him. If Coulson did not know his NoW staff were illegally hacking he should have done and was incompetennt. If he did know, he was conniving at a crime. Its not a question of the Tory communications corps 'dealing with the fallout' : its a question - like the unresolved expenses saga- of simple honesty. Or rather dishonesty.

RW

Typical hamfisted dragging-up-the-past smear operation. This has the potential to become extremely damaging.

For Labour, that is.

Don't they ever learn?

Chris

I can't see how this differs from Mcbride.

Coulson was the boss like Brown and obviously hired some evil reprobates to do underhand things. But neither had knowledge that they were actually doing anything underhand.

Those Labour MPs (Hoon, Clarke and Prescott) calling for Coulson to resign (he already did) or Cameron to sack him should say that Brown should have resigned too.

I think the tories need to get someone like BoJo out, who is on the list, and compare it as above, but talk about it not being acceptable.

David

Coulson should resign now. If it transpires that he has done no wrong he can always be reinstated later.

Dirty Euro

I was just telling someone on the phone last night that I thought Coluson has a lot to hide, and who knows anyone could be getting bugged. Suddenly from out of knowhere a clicking sound was heard on my phone and a cocky voice spoke up and interrupted us saying how dare you you have no evidence for that all, I am a man of integrity and honesty. Then the sound went off again.

Publius

One of these wearisome tit-for-tats full of bogus outrage that makes politics so tedious.

CS

Yes, Alistair Campbell, do tell us more about media ethics.

logdon

It's the Sun wot lost it, Labours chances at the next election, that is. What a fiasco?

All in it together, the ghastly Labour/Guardian/BBC triumvirate unite in perfect stage managed harmony as if the electorate will wet it's collective knickers over this non story.

Check out the coverage in the rest of the media this morning and you'll be forgiven for wondering what's it's all about.

Murdoch's migration rightwards is obviously a challenge Labour could not even contemplate so in time honoured fashion this is pushed to it's very limit, utilising it's captured media outlets.

The dividing lines are now cast.

As for Campbell, dream on.

Does he think that bugging MP's is as big an issue with the electorate than stealing our money to fund lavish lifestyles? If he does his judgement over control of the narrative is gone.

I'd bet, looking at the mood out there that a vast majority would actually be happy to know they are being eavedropped.

And irony of ironies, isn't this precisely what HMG was proposing for all all of us? All emails and phone calls potentialy recorded into a massive database?

Course this mornings Today spent a whole half hour on this, on top of lead story on Newsnight.

Frankly that worries me far more than hearing of a few troughers being bugged.

http://www.biased-bbc.blogspot.com/

tenpin

The stench of a McBride tit-for-tat is all over this. It is common knowledge Mandy wants a tory scalp - with the hope of a domino effect to destabilize and discredit the tories before the next election...As for Campbell what questions does Cameron have to answer to - he did not authorize the tapping...

boulay

so funny to hear indignation and demands for coulson to clear it all up from people such as mandelson.

any comparison with mcbride is wrong. mcbride was employed within govt and working for brown at the time of his crimes. if coulson was aware then it has nothing to do with his current role.

ps i would rather murdoch's lot hacked my calls than brown' mob doing it!

oldtimer

Coulson resigned from the NoW, denying knowledge of the phone tapping. Brown is still PM, denying knowledge of the McBride smear campaign. Looks like double standards to me.

This has all the marks of an attempted smear of Cameron via the fact that Coulson resigned from his earlier job. Of course, if Coulson did know about the phone tapping it would be an entirely different matter. He would have to go.

My recollection is that a number of journalists, representing several newspapers, were accused of phone tapping but specific details never came out at the time. Sounds like a good opportunity for MPs to give Fleet Street a good kicking in return for the expenses scandal.

It is an unedifying spectacle.

David Ossitt

D.C. Should stand by his man; it is the honourable thing to do.

He should also; now take the gloves off and attack labour at each and every opportunity, he should show them up for what they are, dishonest discredited sleazebags to a man, and the women are even worse.

mike

Dave needs to make way for the guy who should have been in charge from the start, the excellent George Gideon Oliver Osborne.

bill

Why can't David Cameron ask the PM to intervene in the Gary McKinnon case during PMQ's?

Or if not Brown, how about any other MP show some spine?

THX1138

Vulture what's wrong with being rich?

I have noticed that the fringe right seem to hate the rich as much as the left do.

tenpin

David at 10.43am. Why should Coulson "resign now" if he has done nothing wrong? Besides he already resigned from the NOTW job. So if he gets another job (say in a school) he should resign from that on the basis of something that happened in a previous job (which may or may not have involved him?). If the same accusations were levelled at you (and you were innocent) would you resign from your current job?

Makes you wonder what bad news is being buried today...

Jimbo

Bloggers shouldn't be letting Labour spin merchants put the attention on Coulson.

The real story here is what's wrong with media self-regulation.

Isn't the Press Complaints Commission entirely reactive?

And isn't time that it was replaced with something bigger, bolder, better and more independent?

Graham

Thank you Thank you. Sitting in front of screen, sweat dribbling down onto mouse. Temp outside 36 but beer in hand very cold.
Game on, as they say
Left walking into a trap?

Jeremy

'Alastair Campbell says that the questions are "only beginning" for Cameron, Coulson and the wider press.'

I should have thought the same could be said about Campbell himself. The questions are "only beginning"...

Cjamesk

"I can't see how this differs from Mcbride"

McBride was directly employed by Brown and his cronies paid for by the public purse to spin and smear the opposition.

Coulson will not be found implicated in any of this I`am sure, the bigger story is Labour and the Guardian attacking Murdoch of which things may now start to get a tad nasty.

I for one can`t wait.

Percy

Surely the bigger story is what were the police and courts doing during this whole sorry affair. The position of both seems quite bizarre.

What the hell is happening to this country?

IH

No, he should not resign - playing into Labour's filthy hands is not the way - the Guardian actually say that Coulson is not involved in the current allegations but they are unsurprisingly making him the story - I think Cameron should stick to his guns - as for Prescott and Clarke saying Coulson must have known - then there is no difference regarding the McBride story, Brown MUST have known - I think Labour could quite easily come unstuck with this - all it will take is one tabloid headline about Labour Smears yet again! It seems the Police implications have been completely overshadowed.

Chris - I agree about getting Bojo out there

Laurence Hodge

This story has been broken prematurely by those seeking to inflict political damage. It could still become interesting and it could conceivably be embarassing for the Tories but as far as the Coulson involvement goes (as destinct from the Police or News International) it doesn't stand up! Those desparate for a morale-boost for the left run the risk of media detumescence.

Steve

David, Chris - Nonsense. It is perfectly feasible and likely that in all organisations that there are some that break the rules and maybe some that move in to criminal activities, especially in a quasi spying industry like journalism. Coulson would have nothing to gain from such activities - after all the NOTW breaks enough stories legally.

However, unlike others, Coulson did not wait until public pressure forced him to go nor blame underlings. He did what used to be the decent thing: resigned as it happened on his watch. Remember those people? If this Government did it then half of them would be out on their backsides now.

Also, the McBride affair is different as this was an known modus operandi at the centre of government by Brown's handpicked men. If Brown had a jot of Coulson's dignity he would have resigned on that matter alone.

Vulture

@THX1138
Nothing at all wrong with being rich, or even seriously rich, THX118 ( though it would help if Dave and Osbers had made their loot themselves, rather than getting it from Daddy). My point is that it removes them from 'normal life' which is a serious handicap in a politician. It won't look too good if, when they come to power, its a couple of rich kids who will have to make the serious cuts in spending that will be essential - consigning thousands to the scrapheap - and demanding sacrifices etc.
That will be about as convincing as Prince Charles descending from his chopper and telling us all we have been living too materialistic a lifestyle and its time to tighten our belts. In a word: hypocrites.

Frank P

What logdon says.

Jeremy

Dirty Euro:

"Suddenly from out of knowhere a clicking sound was heard on my phone and a cocky voice spoke up and interrupted us saying how dare you you have no evidence for that all, I am a man of integrity and honesty. Then the sound went off again."

That was probably Ed Balls...^^

Crystal Bullet

I was surprised recently that Cameron specifically named Ofcom as one of the quango up for demolition. Surely Ofcom and anti-wire-tap agencies talk frequently? Did he just decide to shake a hornet's nest? Or were wire-tap revelations in the pipeline prior to the announcement and he thought to get the boot in early?

Ofcom’s replacement needs better teeth. For instance, against my will, I'm now LLU (Locally Loop Unbundled) because last year BT created new type of partnership. The con is you continue to pay BT line rental but are still LLU. It was a simple but audacious marketing trick. Customers before switching broadband were asking "Will I still be paying BT line rental?" as I way to identify and avoid LLU. A shameless con because BT is now colluding with the independents privatisation opened them up to.

Whatever the regulatory agency, the spirit of privatisation needs maintained for it to work properly. It requires a government clever enough to spot how the free market will exploit things unfairly before they do so. Gordon Brown's ignorance of how energy companies consolidate their customer base by installing “pay as you go” energy meters scores a double. It demonstrated ignorance over poorer communities and a total lack of the regulatory spirit to uphold the principle of competition.

Privatisation of essential services requires constant regulation if the free market is to work efficiently. The regulatory framework under Labour allowed the expansion of “pay as you go” energy meters. That is not progressive or efficient. Unless you are green with time to spend correlating your computer controlled house with a smart meter, which is not what this is about. It is this massive loss in the spirit of privatization which is whittling down many consumer gains previously won. Labour does not understand privatization intelligently and so they govern it badly. Yes, Cameron needs new policies to replace certain quango.

There is an opportunity for him here to seize the moment and say what areas Ofcom’s replacement will cover. If Cameron concerned himself with the emerging areas of consumer choice (anti-virus programs, PC repair certification, website design contracts) all that might fall within the remit of Ofcom’s over-haul. I cannot communicate with a virus-riddled PC, with a faulty hard drive and a broken website. I'd be more impressed by regulatory control over these things than a new introspective quango over what he will get up to in public office.

Arl

Apparently it doesn't just involve one newspaper and one editor - other papers are involved - so I think this is the equivalent to the Press' "expenses" moment - I think Coulson will be OK and Labour will find themselves dragged into it if the Police and CPS had political reasons for not prosecuting anyone else!!

NorthernJohn

Politicalbetting.com is reporting that Coulson will step down tomorrow, maintaining that he knew nothing, but that he does not want to harm DC. Cameron will then try to turn the focus of the story onto the cover up by the authorities.

DW

I just cannot get excited about this.
It's seems nothing more than a Labour dirty tricks game.

Martyn Rowe

Let's just sit back and watch the Sun and The NOTW turn their guns on Labour now...

And the difference between McBride and Coulson?

There are many, the main one being:

Coulson wasn't being paid by the taxpayer.

Jean Baker

A lot of work and effort's involved in Mr Coulson being selectively targetted - kind of Alastair Campbell to let those he's 'playing as fools' know what's coming in the game plan.
This isn't politics, it's 'mob mentality'.

Does it involve Bliar's (reportedly) ex 'foreign policy advisor' recent appointed Head of MI6 ?

Motive and means - the components of all acts of evil.
'Electronic framing' is, apparently child's play for the 'criminally minded'.

Mr Coulson and his family have my utmost support and sympathy, as did Damien Greene and his family - the latter was viewed and treated as a'State enemy' - terrorized in his own country.

Common denominator - both Opposition party members.

THX1138

Vulture - Fair point, well made however I think "normal life" is seriously overrated and I stick to my original point the fringe right does seem to have issues with wealth.

As for Coulson this was an accident waiting to happen, I bet there is more to come if the "screws" bugged such a minor figure as Gordon Taylor, who else were they bugging and for Coulson to deny any knowledge is simply not credible.

With amateur hour like this in CCHQ, only goes to remind me how good TB and Campbell were at the dark arts.

Didn't a guy write a book about newspaper dirty tricks recently, kind of remember it being seralised in the Indie.

Frank P

What's the ubiquitous Andrew Neil doing leading this charge on this issue. I can't turn a switch or click on a mouse these days without having to Neil before Andrew's scotia speil in one form or another. I would have thought that as an ex-?- Murdoch Empire general, this type of behaviour doesn't come as much of a shock - put you hand on your heart Andrew! Are the Barclay boys making a move on Murdoch's realm? Or is this just a final squib to threw at the airwaves before the hols set in in earnest. Or is the scorched Earth policy of NuLab
now reached the burning-their-boats-behind-them in view of Murdoch dumping the Brown jobbie?

As for dragging elderly William back into it - that's a sure sign it ain't leading anywhere. It was them what blew the whistle, no doubt.

Chris

To clarify - i mean the Mcbride affair and compare him to Brown - the boss at a distance of whom there is no proof of wrongdoing. The journos would be like McBride - perhaps he should have been locked up too.

Harpic

Their phones were NOT tapped.
Their voicemail was listened to.
If you dont have the sense to change your pin number from the phone makers standard pin then anyone can access your voicemail.

So they have themselves to blame and I bet 70% of fleet Street have used this.

bitter and twisted

Am I the only one to think fair enough for the NOTW to use phone tapping to get a good story? Surely they are to be congratulated for getting the quotes and the stories straight from the horses' mouths, rather than fabricating any old lie. After all, the government itself has used every technique possible to man to spy on us and our fellow citizens. Our terror legislation permits extraordinary intrusion in our fellow citizens' lives. I personally, could not care less if an MP's phone is tapped by the NOTW. Better chance of fair play if you're investigated by the NOTW rather than under our own security services and laws.

David Ossitt

Vulture

"though it would help if Dave and Osbers had made their loot themselves, rather than getting it from Daddy"

Why? how would it help you?

Your use of the slang abbreviations Dave, Osbers, Daddy, is just nasty, to refer to their wealth as loot is plainly malicious.

John Davie

"But - even if more allegations fail to emerge - this remains a tricky story for Team Cameron. It sifts through a past that the Tories had hoped was forgotten, and it gives Labour figures opportunity to question David Cameron's judgement and draw comparisons with Smeagate". No you fool that is what NewFailure wants you to say. What a ridiculous pro NewGossip assertion. This is pure “twice rightly disgraced” Mandlesonian defamation – when will the media stop believing the NewSewage that seeps put of the source of all ills? The Prince of Darkness has not and cannot change. Everything that dribbles out from them is automatically despoiled. Do some proper research and nail the laggards.

egh

bitter and twisted - yes. Two wrongs don't make a right; in this case they'd just tie us all into so many tangled wires we'd never get straight!