For the umpteenth time, David Cameron failed to fully apologise for brining the poison of Andy Coulson into Downing Street, in a Commons debate on phone hacking.
For the umpteenth time, the prime minister failed to fully apologise for brining the poison of Andy Coulson into Downing Street, defending his former communications chief and refusing to answer all Ed Miliband’s questions – dismissing concerns about Coulson as “feeble conspiracy theories”.
He did, however, raise even more questions by claiming that “in hindsight” he would not have hired Coulson – despite all the evidence about Coulson’s past being out there at the time, and despite several of his inner circle knowing all the facts.
It’s not about “hindsight”; had he not stuck his fingers in his ears and failed to ask the right questions, he’d have known exactly the kind of character he was employing.
Mr Cameron had five chances to act on specific information that would surely have led him to change his mind on Coulson:
• The Guardian told his Chief of Staff Ed Llewellyn Coulson had hired a convicted criminal at the News of the World;
• In May 2010, his deputy Nick Clegg warned him about Coulson;
• The News York Times investigation was enough for the Metropolitan Police to reopen enquiries, resulting in Neil Wallis – Coulson’s deputy at the NotW – being fired by the Met;
• John Yates offered to brief the prime minister via Mr Llewellyn; and
• In October, Mr Llewellyn was approached by the Guardian with serious evidence about Coulson.
Every single opportunity was missed.
Questions were also raised about whether Mr Cameron had discussed the BSkyB bid in any of his vast array of meetings with News International executives, while several of his loyal backbenchers, on message and on cue, tried to deflect attention from the scandal by claiming there were other, more important issues going on.
It is this issue, however, which hangs heaviest over Mr Cameron, and if the odds are to be believed, it’s this issue that’ll bury him.
28 Responses to “Yet again, Cameron fails to say sorry over Coulson”
Anon E Mouse
Mr Sensible – It’s over now. It will secure Ed Miliband’s position as leader of the Labour Party which will in turn secure Cameron’s position as Prime Minister of this country at the next election.
Even the Lib Dem’s have had a jump in the polls of 2% but for Labour they are still on 42% and the Tories are still on 36% – they haven’t moved at all before and after this whole thing.
Meaning that Ed Miliband has blown it and because he isn’t supported by Labour activists who REFUSE to cancel their Sky subscriptions (shame on them) News Corp and BSkyB shares are on the up again…
Big up to Miliband for having a go but he’s just bored most of the public to death now with it…
Anon E Mouse
Kevin leonard – What has Andy Coulson been found guilty of?
We know the last government spin doctor Damian McBride’s record – ask Alistair Darling about the “Forces of Hell being unleashed” against him. Or smearing David Cameron in the week his disabled son died. Or Peter Watt’s terrible treatment from his own side. Charming.
No other Prime Minister in history spent more time with Rupert Murdoch than Gordon Brown despite his pack of lies in the commons last week.
We know Alistair Campbell told lies in his “dossier” resulting in the suicide of David Kelly and the deaths in Iraq of thousands of innocent men, women and children just to suck up to George W Bush.
Most people know what is worse Kevin leonard but since you voted for Gordon Brown I would suggest your moral compass may need rapid recalibration.
(Unless you support wanton death and murder on an industrial scale justified by Labour government lies. Perhaps you do…)
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