Wednesday, 8th September 2010

Clegg versus Straw - the re-match

James Forsyth 11:03am

David Cameron’s father has suffered a stroke on holiday in France and so the PM is, understandably, travelling out there to be with him. This means that Nick Clegg will be standing in for him at PMQs.

At the risk of sounding Jo Mooreish, this shift in PMQs personnel has political implications. Labour was always planning to use today to try and associate Cameron personally with Coulson and the whole voicemail interception story. That, obviously, can’t happen now.

But Labour could ask Nick Clegg a series of awkward questions on this, has the deputy prime minister sought personal assurances from the director of communications about what he knew of phone hacking at the News of the World while he was editor and the like. Defending Coulson will be awkward for Clegg given how little his party likes the whole media culture that Coulson represents.

Having said this, Jack Straw’s previous performance against Clegg was lamentable. The error that Clegg made that day—saying the Iraq war was illegal while speaking from the despatch box—was unforced.

Filed under: Andy Coulson (87 more articles) , Coalition (1872 more articles) , David Cameron (1718 more articles) , Iraq (155 more articles) , Jack Straw (33 more articles) , Media (427 more articles) , Nick Clegg (637 more articles) , PMQs (227 more articles) , Scandal (237 more articles) , UK politics (4911 more articles)

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Robert Taggart

September 8th, 2010 11:18am Report this comment

Clegg versus Straw ? No contest... the 'man of straw' be burnt out ... by his own admission !

Mark Cannon

September 8th, 2010 11:21am Report this comment

After what Yates of the Yard said yesterday, is there really any mileage left in this story? The only new material (it is not yet evidence) seems to be from an ex-employee of the News of the World who has drink and drug issues and, probably, a grudge against the News of the World. This is unlikely to be sufficienty strong to justify a prosecution. But it will take time for the Yard and, possibly, the CPS, to reach that conclusion.

Meanwhile all Clegg has to say is that (i) Coulson says he's innocent; (ii) that denial was not shaken by last year's events/revelations; (iii) it is up to the police whether and how to pursue any further enquiries.