Rarely has that old adage that week is a long time in politics seemed more appropriate. Seven days ago, few of us would have predicted that we would be in the middle of a crisis that could dramatically effect how politics is run, the press are regulated and the standing of the police.
This morning is probably one of those days when, to borrow his joke from yesterday, David Cameron wants to shut down all the newspapers. The Mail and The Telegraph lay into him for his call to end self-regulation of the press. Indeed, their editorials on the matter speak to a broader anger in both papers that despite them having supported the Tories through the thin years of opposition, it is—or was—News International who gets the red carpet treatment from the Tory leadership. As Conservative Home notes, Cameron’s problems with these papers are not going to go away as long as the prospect of statutory regulation remains on the table. For their part, the left-wing press bashes Cameron for his closeness to Murdoch and for ignoring warnings about Andy Coulson.
Cameron is politically strong enough to ride this crisis out. But there’s no doubt that it has caused him some damage. What also worries some of his supporters is that the story could keep coming back again and again.
In a sign of just how serious this crisis is for his global business interests, Rupert Murdoch is flying into London to try and deal with the situation. Judging by Rebekah Brooks comments to News of the World staff yesterday that they’ll understand why she had to close the paper down in a year’s time, it seems that the situation could get still worse for the company.
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