Yates and Stephenson resign; Boris and Cameron remain – for now

Pressure is mounting on Boris Johnson and David Cameron over the phone hacking scandal tonight, following the resignations of the Metropolitan Police's top two.

Pressure is mounting on Boris Johnson and David Cameron over the phone hacking scandal tonight, with people asking how it’s the case the Met’s top two police officers have lost their jobs yet the country’s two leading Tory politicians – and hack-deniers – remain in place, unrepentant, unapologetic, and under fire from their own side.

Senior Labour figures today came as close as they could to calling for the prime minister to consider his position without calling on him to resign – with the London Mayor similarly under attack for his own failure to take phone hacking seriously.

Onto Mr Cameron shortly, but first to Mr Johnson, who, let it be recalled, only last year said (pp 22-25, pdf) of the phone hacking scandal:

“I am completely satisfied [with the Met’s handling of the allegations].”

“[Labour are raising this] simply in order to score party political points against the prime minister’s press spokesman.”

“I think it looks like a politically motivated put up job.”

“This is completely spurious and political.”

“You are trying to make a song and dance about nothing in my view.”

“This is a load of codswallop cooked up by the Labour Party.”

“As far as I can see, this is something that has been already substantially investigated, where no new and interesting facts have been brought into the public domain and which is being whipped up by the Guardian and the Labour Party.”

“I have every confidence that the police will come to the right conclusion.”

The Mayor held a hastily-convened press conference at City Hall this afternoon, in which he was repeatedly challenged by journalists over his past comments, to which he appeared, for once, lost for words. Humiliated, he admitted he had “misunderstood the severity of the allegations”, and that “it became obvious the scandal was far worse than previously indicated”.

His belated contrition, however, isn’t washing.

His predecessor, and challenger for the Mayoralty next year, Ken Livingstone, told BBC News 24:

“I wasn’t Mayor when it blew up it blew up in 2009 when the guardian exposed the scale of it… They’ve both gone [Yates and Stephenson]; the politicians remain… He [Boris] said it was a load of old codswallop…

“Even after the news that Milly Dowler’s phone had been hacked he was defending them and called for Rebekah Brooks to stay… It looks like this is a coalition between the Conservative Party and News International.”

For Mr Cameron, meanwhile, the pressure rises with each day, each hourunder attack from his own MPs for going to Africa in the middle of the crisis and under fire from the Opposition, with Ed Miliband again demanding to be told who knew what and when over Andy Coulson’s dodgy past, and calling once again on the prime minister once to apologise for bringing such an individual into Downing Street.

While in a devastating editorial, the normally loyal Daily Telegraph today says:

“Far from easing the pressure on David Cameron, Sir Paul’s departure increases it. For nearly a fortnight now, Downing Street has had to have information dragged from it about the closeness of the Prime Minister’s relationship with News International and, in particular, Rebekah Brooks, who became the latest News International executive to be arrested yesterday.

“Ever since Mr Cameron made the fatal error of appointing Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor, as his press spokesman, the waters of this murky affair have been lapping at his feet. They show no sign of receding. If anything, they are rising.”

This evening, Labour figures, in Parliament to the media are asking why different rules apply to the prime minister than the head of the Met, who in his resignation statement last night, pointedly said:

“Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from the News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge, been in any way associated with the original phone hacking investigation.”

Quite.

Mr Cameron’s brand as a competent politician of sound judgment has been seriously undermined by this episode; if it emerges he knew more than he is letting on, it would be very serious for him indeed.

Left Foot Forward will have further coverage of the phone hacking scandal tomorrow – including Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks’s appearances before the culture, media and sport select committee.

49 Responses to “Yates and Stephenson resign; Boris and Cameron remain – for now”

  1. Ed's Talking Balls

    ‘There are more important things going on than phone hacking?’

    Mr. Sensible, I can’t fathom why you would ask that question, seemingly incredulous.

    Of course there are more important things than phone hacking. Have you heard of matters of life and death? If so, I put it to you that wars and natural disasters (e.g. Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis owing to the drought in East Africa) are far more important. Further, have you heard of economic crises? I put it to you that such momentous events, which destroy lives on a mass scale, are also far more important.

    You say ‘try telling that to some of the victims’. I would do just that, were I to meet one. Of course victims, such as Milly Dowler’s family and the families of those killed on active service, are appalled and disgusted by what News International has done. So are all decent people. But I doubt that these victims believe the hacking of their loved ones’ phones was more hideous than what happened to their loved ones in the first place. Providing and sustaining an effective police force and criminal justice system is more important than phone hacking. Ensuring that we only go into war when absolutely necessary and ensuring that, when we do, our troops are properly equipped and treated with dignity when they return is also far more important.

    I retain perspective here, even if the BBC and Guardian aren’t prepared to.

  2. Leon Wolfson

    Except you just boasted about how you do.

    I cannot simply trust that you are not my doctor, given your expressed views, and your clear violation of most doctor’s oaths you are engaged in, given that they are NOT limited to the workplace.

    (What I’m sworn to is a far more limited oath for emergency (“paramedic”) care, and I quite simply will not violate it!)

  3. Robert

    Harriet on News night now with some Tory, it sounded like two children playing some gamne, my leader is better then your leader.

    It’s like kids playing politics.

    The fact is both parties have messed up big time, both parties were in Murdock pocket both parties were scared stiff to do anything, Brown was so far off beat he I suspect saw nothing wrong with crying to day and then drinking champers the next week or going to Brooks wedding.

    Both of these leaders were scared of what Murdock could do.

  4. chris star

    Yates and Stephenson resign; Boris and Cameron remain For now..
    http://j.mp/o0App0
    #hackgate

  5. Anon E Mouse

    Leon Wolfson – As a mouthpiece for New Labour have you forgotten it was YOUR government who was in power when all this “hacking” went on?

    Lose the hate and smearing please Leom Wolfson – it blinds your every comment and it is just unattractive. Why don’t you answer the questions these other people ask instead of smearing them?

    You claim not to subscribe to Sky TV so why aren’t you calling for the hypocrite Labour activists who do give their money gladly every month to the Murdochs to stop doing it?

    Start with this very author Shamik Das who is constantly having a dig at this lot whilst gladly giving his money every month to support them. That’s loyalty to Ed Miliband for you.

    Today’s excuse Leon Wolfson?

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