If the Coulson arrest goes ahead, we will know that the Prime Minister failed. The question is how badly. This is what we need to know.
It has been widely trailed that the Prime Minister will give a press conference on the scandal engulfing News International this morning. His position – described as being in the sewer yesterday by Peter Oborne in the Daily Telegraph yesterday – demands that he answers certain questions.
It has been reported that Andy Coulson, News of the World editor at the time of the hacking scandal, will be arrested today. If so, it would appear that the process that led Cameron to appoint Coulson as head of communications while leader of the opposition, and then bring him into Downing Street, was irrevocably flawed. If the Coulson arrest goes ahead, we will know that the Prime Minister failed. The question is how badly. What the Prime Minister needs to tell us is:
1) What questions did Cameron ask Coulson on appointing him? Were they framed in such a way that gave Coulson the benefit or burden of the doubt? Did those questions cover all the areas that would be need to be asked of an editor of a newspaper during a major scandal?
2) What were the answers that Coulson gave him? Were they categorical, or ‘creatively vague’?
3) Did Cameron do anything to check whether Coulson’s answers were true, and the whole truth?
4) What did Alan Rusbridger, Editor of the Guardian, warn Cameron through an intermediary concerning Coulson, on entering Dowing Street. Apparently Rusbridger also told Clegg. This is going to come out at some stage, so Cameron should tell us now. And if the Prime Minister refuses, his Deputy should let it be known.
Until Cameron answers these questions, his moral authority will remain mired in Oborne’s sewer.
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
20 Responses to “Hackergate: The questions Cameron must answer”
paurina
Hackergate: The questions Cameron must answer l Left Foot Forward – http://tinyurl.com/5wxgrej
DrKMJ
RT @leftfootfwd: Hackergate: The questions Cameron must answer: http://bit.ly/qtDVGk: writes@DanielElton #NewsClub
Selohesra
And of course Labour is squeaky clean in its relationships with press inc Murdoch. They are all as bad as each other – admit it!
Robert
Gosh they cannot admit that, but I think Cameron has done OK with his speech today, he states one of the primer ideologies which Newer labour should remember, your only guilty when your proved, in this country your innocent until proved your not.
Anon E Mouse
With Ed Miliband employing the other Murdoch stalwart, Tom Baldwin, perhaps he ought to stop personalising this affair and prepare for the day it comes back to bite him. Which it will.
All the newspapers are bad but without a free press we wouldn’t have the MP’s expenses being exposed, resulting in the theft of £thousands of taxpayers money, or the Iraq dossier Labour lied in that resulted in thousands of people being killed overseas.
We need a free press.
The individuals involved in this phone “hacking” should be arrested, charged and banged up ASAP but to allow this to be an excuse to clamp down on press freedoms by idiot politicians from any party in not a good idea…