May's straight-bat technique

Ricky

The BBC is not only an enemy of the British people and of democracy but actively promotes a sinister agitprop agenda that includes Christianophobia, an unhealthy romanticism for terrorism and tyrannies, antisemitism and the self enrichment of socialist friends & cronies and it's own senior staff.

It is certainly no friend of this government and will use every journalistic trick and editorial subtefuge to bring it to it's knees.

It is just waiting for the right opportunity to do so and this isn't the one.

Time to dismantle the BBC's Evil Empire, Mr Hunt. For all of our sakes.

Mark Cannon

Is it right for the government to intervene in the investigation (or non-investigation) by the police of a possible criminal offence? I would have thought that the answer was clear: it is not. It would have been wrong for the last government to lean on the Met to get them to investigate/prosecute and it would be wrong for the present government to lean on them to do nothing.

Nickle

Hypocrites, the lot of them

To paraphrase Corporal Jones. The don't like it up 'em.

Quite connent to do the same as the NoTW to the public via the RIPA act. No warrant to bug and tap needed. Just some jobsworth in the local council and other quangos can go ahead and tap commications.

Now the tables are turned and they are winging like ...

Alexander

What is the New York Times v Wall Street Journal feud doing dominating the news.

Tim W

Before reading any internet blogs or anyone else saying so, I had noticed the ridiculous amount of prominence the BBC were, and still are, giving the Coulson story. It's basically Guardian TV. NOTHING NEW HAS HAPPENED since the NYT story. Prescott and Labour politicians alleging something is not worthy of a top story today. Sky haven't led with the story (rightly so) whereas ITV haven't been as half as loud against Coulson.

The story is about as noteworthy as a former drunk BBC employee claiming that the Editor of BBC News knew that they were being biased. The Editor then denies the story but Tories speak out against him. A story? Not really.

In2minds

Dennis Skinner, this is what happens when people work beyond a sensible retirement age.

davidk

Theresa May plays a straight bat over the Coulson affair. Oh, that's alright then. Well done for playing a blinder in covering the tracks of a former News of the Screws editor dragging the Tory Party through the mud.

All Hail the Home Secretary.

Maggie

I thought May was excellent - cool, calm and collected in contrast the the excitable loons on the opposite bench and the whyhaven'twegotjobs loons on the Tory benches.
She was followed by a commanding performance from Nick Clegg. Straw was so boring I couldn't be bothered to listen to him.

E Digby

This takes the heat off Hague

tom g

Tim W, re: your comment:

"Sky haven't led with the story (rightly so) whereas ITV haven't been as half as loud against Coulson."

You do realise that Sky is operated by BSkyB, 38% of which is owned by News International (proprietor Rupert Murdoch) which publishes...The News Of The World?

I'm not sure anyone would be able to argue that Sky's position on the story is the unbiased one.

I would also question whether the BBC would actively go out of its way to antagonise the current government just as the government is sharpening the knives for it. As James Forsyth has noted, if anything the BBC are more likely to give the government an easier time over this story than you might think a story about one of the most powerful people behind the scenes in government condoning illegal practices in his workplace warrants.

Dimoto

This (trivial, in the grand scheme of things) story, will go where it goes.

However, it is clear that Labour have not the slightest intention of learning lessons or changing tack after their election defeat.

It's still full-on gimmickry, tittle-tattle, the politics of low media campaigns, smear and opportunism.

Understandably, the Conservatives have been reluctant to try to claim the moral high ground.
But unless the coalition go much harder on low-life operators like Balls and Watson (skin crawling to hear that guttersnipe pontificating today), and the corrupted media, Brit politics will be confirmed as the politics of the gutter.

All the talk about "constitutional reform and expenses clean-ups", means nothing if the corruption of standards by Labour is allowed to perpetuate.

The coalition needs a rapid rebuttal unit to shine the light on the (continuing) Labour dirty-tricksters.

Chuck Unsworth

@ In2minds

Exactly - but he was always like that. Premature senility?

Ian Stewart

I seem to remember that the Hinduja affair, the Ecclestone scandal etc were brushed aside as "tittle-tattle', "hoo-has and passing fancies". Look where that led.
Interesting to note that media coverage is proportionate to the amount of the company owned by NewsCorp.
a simple argument for keeping the BBC would be that for some, it will keep unpleasant truths in the public eye.
Well done the Spectator for covering this issue.
There are three related issues here - the first being Corporate Responsibility/Accountability.
The second is how widespread the illegal practices were.
The third is whether it was at all wise for the Prime Minister to employ this man.
The same applies to Blair/Campbell.
It is not trivial if a highly paid Government servant is ever tainted with negligence,or worse still illegality.

Fergus Pickering

Isn't Chris Bryant the ex-vicar who came out as gay and posted his picture in his underpants on the internet? Is that the feller?