John Yates and Theresa May made detailed comments on the phone-hacking affair. Nick Davies analyses them
When the New York Times published its report into the phone tapping scandal last Wednesday, not many British commentators immediately realised its significance.After a day or so when only a very few on Twitter and the blogosphere promoted the story, it was taken up by Tom Watson MP and then by Lord Prescott. By the time Lord Prescott had taken advantage of the benefit of a former Deputy Prime Minister in airing his concerns on the Today programme, the story had legs.Yesterday, the Home Secretary Theresa May -- in a fairly unconvincing performance -- refused to announce an inquiry into the affair. This was in response to an urgent parliamentary question by Watson. The chairman of the House of Commons select committee on Culture Media and Sport has also said that his committee will not re-open the inquiry. Other bodies asked to look at it have so far have not yet responded.It would seem that the story has hit the buffers and lost all momentum; it appears to be a scandal with no where else to go.However, such a view would be misconceived.
When the New York Times published its report into the phone tapping scandal last Wednesday, not many British commentators immediately realised its significance.
After a day or so when only a very few on Twitter and the blogosphere promoted the story, it was taken up by Tom Watson MP and then by Lord Prescott. By the time Lord Prescott had taken advantage of the benefit of a former Deputy Prime Minister in airing his concerns on the Today programme, the story had legs.
Yesterday, the Home Secretary Theresa May -- in a fairly unconvincing performance -- refused to announce an inquiry into the affair. This was in response to an urgent parliamentary question by Watson. The chairman of the House of Commons select committee on Culture Media and Sport has also said that his committee will not re-open the inquiry. Other bodies asked to look at it have so far have not yet responded.It would seem that the story has hit the buffers and lost all momentum; it appears to be a scandal with no where else to go.
However, such a view would be misconceived.
The chair of the home affairs select committee today launched a new inquiry into the use of unauthorised phone hacking.Keith Vaz announced the move soon after hearing evidence from John Yates, the senior police officer involved in the original investigation.The development came as it emerged that David Cameron's PR chief, Andy Coulson, faces police questioning over his role in phone hacking during his time as the editor of the News of the World.Coulson has repeatedly insisted he was unaware of the practice being used by members of his reporting team.
The chair of the home affairs select committee today launched a new inquiry into the use of unauthorised phone hacking.
Keith Vaz announced the move soon after hearing evidence from John Yates, the senior police officer involved in the original investigation.
The development came as it emerged that David Cameron's PR chief, Andy Coulson, faces police questioning over his role in phone hacking during his time as the editor of the News of the World.
Coulson has repeatedly insisted he was unaware of the practice being used by members of his reporting team.
The story traces who knew what about the phone hacking and when they know it right up to Andy Coulson. And there it stops. In the chain of command at News International (News Corp.'s British subsidiary), if Andy Coulson knew something then his mentor and boss, Rebekah Brooks, knew it, and if Rebekah knew it, then James Murdoch knew it (this is a very tight office and social circle), and if James knew it, then his father knew it. And who knew what when about the hacking is only a prelude to who knew what when about the cover up and the obstructing and suborning of investigations into the hacking. Murdoch can control the powers that be in London--and walk free. But if he's going to take the New York Times down, its message is that he and his son are going down, too. Even the nice boys can play rough.
A key witness from inside the News of World newsroom says he will testify on the phone-hacking affair, both to police and an inquiry begun by parliament.Ross Hall, a former employee who until now has been silent, told the Guardian tonight he was willing to talk to Scotland Yard and to the newly-announced home affairs select committee inquiry by MPs: "If asked, I will tell them what I know." Metropolitan police sources said they planned to interview him.Hall had been named in a previous MPs' inquiry as the man who transcribed swaths of hacked voicemail messages for other journalists, including the tabloid's chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck.
A key witness from inside the News of World newsroom says he will testify on the phone-hacking affair, both to police and an inquiry begun by parliament.
Ross Hall, a former employee who until now has been silent, told the Guardian tonight he was willing to talk to Scotland Yard and to the newly-announced home affairs select committee inquiry by MPs: "If asked, I will tell them what I know." Metropolitan police sources said they planned to interview him.
Hall had been named in a previous MPs' inquiry as the man who transcribed swaths of hacked voicemail messages for other journalists, including the tabloid's chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck.
New claims about phone hacking at the News of the World, 65 articles, 68% of which were in one of four outlets (The Guardian, The BBC, The Independent and the Financial Times). Only 2 were published by news outlets owned by News International
The private investigator jailed in the News of the World phone tapping scandal, Glenn Mulcaire, planned to write a book which would allege that the hacking of voicemails took place with the knowledge of senior staff. A detailed synopsis of the memoirs, seen by The Independent, reveals that Mulcaire was prepared to implicate others at the newspaper by stating that, as well as taking instructions from the royal correspondent Clive Goodman, he was also routinely commissioned by executives.The book, provisionally titled Hear to Here: The Inside Story of the Royal Household Tapes and The Murky World of the Media, was never published because Mulcaire signed an £80,000 confidentiality agreement with the News of the World after he sued for wrongful dismissal following his conviction. But Mulcaire, who was was paid more than £2,000 a week by the newspaper, did write a five-page synopsis with a would-be author. Due to the gagging order, the document is the only time Mulcaire has explained his actions in his own words.
The private investigator jailed in the News of the World phone tapping scandal, Glenn Mulcaire, planned to write a book which would allege that the hacking of voicemails took place with the knowledge of senior staff.
A detailed synopsis of the memoirs, seen by The Independent, reveals that Mulcaire was prepared to implicate others at the newspaper by stating that, as well as taking instructions from the royal correspondent Clive Goodman, he was also routinely commissioned by executives.
The book, provisionally titled Hear to Here: The Inside Story of the Royal Household Tapes and The Murky World of the Media, was never published because Mulcaire signed an £80,000 confidentiality agreement with the News of the World after he sued for wrongful dismissal following his conviction. But Mulcaire, who was was paid more than £2,000 a week by the newspaper, did write a five-page synopsis with a would-be author. Due to the gagging order, the document is the only time Mulcaire has explained his actions in his own words.
