[Omah]

1259:

The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee says Rupert and James Murdoch will be giving evidence to MPs at 1430 BST on Tuesday. It says Mrs Brooks will appear on her own from 1530 BST.

[Omah]

1308:

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner John Yates says he's done "nothing wrong", amid speculation he could be suspended over the phone-hacking scandal. He tells reporters who ask if his position is untenable: "Give me a break."

1314:

The Met Police Authority's professional standards committee is now expected to release a statement at about 1355.

[Omah]

Blimey - the statements are coming thick and fast .....

Met Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates has resigned and is expected to make a statement later this afternoon

[joeysteele]

It seems John Yates has gone from the met now, he's tendered his resignation.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

It seems John Yates has gone from the met now, he's tendered his resignation.

You're right another one bites the dust :

Met Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates has resigned as the phone-hacking scandal fall-out continues.

He checked the credentials of Neil Wallis before the Met employed the ex-News of the World executive, arrested last week over hacking allegations.

Mr Yates indicated his intention to resign to the chairman of the Met Police Authority, which was accepted.

Mr Yates's decison to quit comes after Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson resigned on Sunday.

The resignation of Sir Paul, the most senior policeman in Britain, came after he faced criticism for the recruitment of Mr Wallis as a PR consultant.

Mr Wallis, a former NoW deputy editor, was arrested and released on bail on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.

Mr Yates's resignation came after he was informed he would be suspended pending an inquiry into his relationship with Mr Wallis.

The officer had been confronted with new information about the friendship between the two men, sources told BBC political editor Nick Robinson.

I was having a lite-bite when it happened - couldn't these people be more considerate about falling on their swords ?

[Omah]

... four current or former Met Police officers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

1728:

In a statement, the Independent Police Complaints Commission says it has received five referrals from the Metropolitan Police Authority regarding the actions of current and former senior Scotland Yard officers over the phone-hacking scandal.

1734:

The matters referred to the IPCC involve:

The conduct of the Met commissioner in carrying overall responsibility for the investigation into phone hacking

The conduct of Assistant Commissioner John Yates: in his review in July 2009 and overall role in relation to the phone-hacking investigation; and in his alleged involvement in inappropriately securing employment for the daughter of a friend

The conduct of two former senior officers in their role in the phone-hacking investigation.

1735:

The BBC understands that the two senior officers named in the IPCC's investigation are former Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke and former Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman.


The Roll of Dishonour gets longer .....

[Smithy]

Sean Hoare, the former News of the World showbiz reporter who was the first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson was aware of phone hacking by his staff, has been found dead, the Guardian has learned.

Hoare, who worked on the Sun and the News of the World with Coulson before being dismissed for drink and drugs problems, is said to have been found dead at his Watford home.

Hertfordshire police would not confirm his identity, but the force said in a statement: "At 10.40am today [Monday 18 July] police were called to Langley Road, Watford, following the concerns for welfare of a man who lives at an address on the street. Upon police and ambulance arrival at a property, the body of a man was found. The man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.

"The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this incident are ongoing."

Hoare first made his claims in a New York Times investigation into the phone-hacking allegations at the News of the World.

He told that newspaper that not only did Coulson know of the phone-hacking, but that he actively encouraged his staff to intercept the phone calls of celebrities in the pursuit of exclusives.

In a subsequent interview with the BBC he alleged that he was personally asked by his then-editor, Coulson, to tap into phones. In an interview with the PM programme he said Coulson's insistence that he didn't know about the practice was "a lie, it is simply a lie".

At the time a Downing Street spokeswoman said Coulson totally and utterly denied the allegations and said he had "never condoned the use of phone-hacking and nor do I have any recollection of incidences where phone-hacking took place".

Sean Hoare, a one-time close friend of Coulson's, told the New York Times the two men first worked together at the Sun, where, Hoare said, he played tape recordings of hacked messages for Coulson. At the News of the World, Hoare said he continued to inform Coulson of his activities. Coulson "actively encouraged me to do it," Hoare said.

In September last year he was interviewed under caution by police over his claims that the former Tory communications chief asked him to hack into phones when he was editor of the paper, but declined to make any comment.

Hoare emerged back into the spotlight last week, after he told the New York Times that reporters at the News of the World were able to use police technology to locate people using their mobile phone signals in exchange for payments to police officers.

He said journalists were able to use a technique called 'pinging' which measured the distance between mobile handsets and a number of phone masts to pinpoint its location.

Hoare gave further details about the use of 'pinging' to the Guardian last week. He described how reporters would ask a news desk executive to obtain the location of a target: "Within 15 to 30 minutes someone on the news desk would come back and say 'right that's where they are.'"

He said: "You'd just go to the news desk and they'd just come back to you. You don't ask any questions. You'd consider it a job done. The chain of command is one of absolute discipline and what's why I never bought into, like with Andy saying he wasn't aware of it and all that. That's bollocks."

He said he would stand by everything he had told the New York Times about 'pinging'. "I don't know how often it happened. That would be wrong of me. But if I had access as a humble reporter … ."

He admitted he had had problems with drink and drugs and had been in rehab. "But that's irrelevant," he said. "There's more to come. This is not going to go away."

Hoare named a private investigator who he said had links with the News of the World, adding: "He may want to talk now because I think what you'll find now is a lot of people are going to want to cover their arse."

Speaking to another Guardian journalist st last week, Hoare repeatedly expressed the hope that the hacking scandal would lead to journalism in general being cleaned up and said he had decided to blow the whistle on the activities of some of his former News of the World colleagues with that aim in mind.

He also said he has been injured at a party the previous weekend while taking down a marquee erected for a children's party. He said he had broken his nose and badly injured his foot when a relative accidentally struck him with a heavy pole from the marquee.

Hoare also emphasised that he was not making any money from telling his story. Hoare, who has been treated for drug and alcohol problems, reminisced about partying with former pop stars and said he missed the days when he was able to go out on the town.

[Omah]

1801:

The BBC's Tom Symonds understands the referral received by the IPCC relating to John Yates's alleged involvement in inappropriately securing employment for the daughter of a friend refers to the daughter of Neil Wallis. Mr Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was arrested last week.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14194623

Former News of the World journalist Sean Hoare has been found dead at his home in Watford.

He told the New York Times the practice of phone hacking was far more extensive than the newspaper acknowledged when police first investigated the case.

Hertfordshire Police said the body of a man was found at an address in Langley Road, Watford, on Monday morning.

A police spokesman said the death was currently being treated as unexplained but was not thought to be suspicious.

The spokesman said: "At 10.40am today [Monday] police were called to Langley Road, Watford, following the concerns for welfare of a man who lives at an address on the street.

"Upon police and ambulance arrival at a property, the body of a man was found. The man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.

"The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this incident are ongoing."

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Omah

You're right another one bites the dust :



I was having a lite-bite when it happened - couldn't these people be more considerate about falling on their swords ?

I had to smile at that comment from you too Omah,it is really hard to keep up with this issue.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I had to smile at that comment from you too Omah,it is really hard to keep up with this issue.

Hehehehehehe ......

Yeah, I believe that some find it harder to keep up than others .....

[Omah]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-...acking_Hearing

The Interrogators :

:: JOHN WHITTINGDALE, CHAIRMAN (CON)

A Tory traditionalist who was Margaret Thatcher's political secretary in No 10 before becoming an MP.

He has had a good scandal so far, making measured and sensible contributions on both hacking and News Corp's bid for BSkyB, and was one of the first Conservative MPs to acknowledge that the bid was doomed.

He was embarrassed at the weekend by reports that Mrs Brooks was one of his friends on Facebook.

He successfully laughed off the criticism by pointing out that he has been specialising in the media for many years, first as a Conservative spokesman and then as chairman of his select committee and so has met media bosses many times.

He has proved to be a firm select committee chairman and is unlikely to let his members go over the top with their style of questioning. He is well respected by Labour as well as Conservative members of the committee.

:: THERESE COFFEY (CON)

Elected last year for Tory grandee John Gummer's seat, she has established herself as a frequent Commons performer and a solid inquisitor on the select committee.

She is one of very few MPs who are prepared to defend Mrs Brooks and other News International bosses when she believes it is appropriate.

In the emergency Commons debate on the News Corp-BSkyB bid, she claimed there had been a "witch-hunt" against Rebekah Brooks.

She also responded to the Murdochs' U-turn on appearing at the select committee in a measured way, telling Sky News: "Fair play to them."

:: DAMIAN COLLINS (CON)

Elected to Michael Howard's Folkestone seat last year, he has made a steady start to his career in Parliament.

As well as working for Michael Howard, he worked in advertising and public relations before becoming an MP and is therefore something of a media specialist.

:: PHILIP DAVIES (CON)

A terrier-like MP from Yorkshire who is a former Asda supermarket boss. A populist right-winger who hates political correctness, soft jail sentences and the European Union.

He is no fan of David Cameron - the feeling is probably mutual - and is likely to quiz Mrs Brooks on the cosy social gatherings of the "Chipping Norton set", which is said to include the Prime Minister.

:: PAUL FARRELLY (LAB)

A former journalist who achieved notoriety when he was involved in a bar brawl in the Houses of Parliament. Earlier, he scored a major propaganda victory when he exposed a multi-national company which took out a super-injunction to cover up dumping at sea.

A feisty campaigner, he is likely to be a tenacious interrogator and without respect for reputations.

:: LOUISE MENSCH (CON)

The former Louise Bagshawe, the chick-lit novelist who recently married the manager of a rock band. She is also a former journalist and has been impressive with her sharp and forensic questioning at earlier hearings of this committee.

Perhaps when these hearings are over she will write a saucy novel about a media boss married to a former racehorse trainer, a crumbling international dynasty, a super-smooth Prime Minister and, of course, the goings on in a fashionable Cotswolds set.

:: ALAN KEEN (LAB)

Now 73, this former scout for Jack Charlton when he was manager of Middlesbrough FC probably knows more about football than any other MP. But the media is not his forte and some of his questions in this area can be clumsy.

The Feltham and Heston MP is married to Ann Keen, who was MP for a neighbouring constituency in west London until she lost her seat at the last election. They were dubbed "Mr and Mrs Expenses" and were among the most notorious expenses claimers in the last Parliament.

:: ADRIAN SANDERS (LIB DEM)

Worked for Paddy Ashdown before becoming MP for Torbay, his home town. He favours a tough line on the Murdochs and is planning to demand at the start of the select committee hearing that all the witnesses should be compelled to give evidence under oath and face prosecution if they are found to have lied.

:: JIM SHERIDAN (LAB)

An old-school Scottish trade unionist who is chairman of the Unite group of Labour MPs in the Commons. He has been a tireless campaigner for workers' rights and the low-paid in the Commons and has attacked New International's decision to close the News Of The World because it has thrown hundreds of employees out of work.

:: TOM WATSON (LAB)

This larger-than-life Gordon Brown cheerleader has been dubbed one half of the Woodward and Bernstein of the hacking scandal, along with fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant.

He has made some explosive claims in the Commons in recent weeks, including accusing James Murdoch of a cover-up. He will pursue these allegations during the hearing now he has the chance to quiz the Murdochs face-to-face. Apart from John Whittingdale, he is the Member to Watch at this hearing.

Bit of a mixed bunch, then .....

[Omah]

Profiles: The MPs who will quiz the Murdochs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14182907

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14193124

0940:

Rupert Murdoch has arrived at News International's headquarters in Wapping, east London. Son James is already there. Plenty for them to discuss.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14193124

Rupert and James Murdoch face questions from the Commons culture committee on News International's role in the phone-hacking scandal, starting at 1430 BST.

Ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to be questioned from 1530 BST.

[Omah]

Key figures Victims and possible victims :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12296392

[Omah]

1138:

People queuing for the culture commitee meeting are sitting down to picnic lunches outside Westminster's Portcullis House, where the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks are to be questioned.

[Omah]

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson - who quit on Sunday - answers questions from the Commons home affairs committee from 1200 BST.

John Yates, the former assistant chief constable at the Met, will speak to MPs at 1315, following his resignation on Monday.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14193124

Outgoing Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson is coming under sustained questioning from MPs about why he resigned - and why he appeared to criticise the prime minister in his resignation statement.

[Omah]

1311:

Ahead of the Murdochs appearing before another committee later - there's a queue outside Portcullis House, 15 journalists have been allowed in but the rest have been turned away. 30 members of the public have also been allowed in.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Omah

Outgoing Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson is coming under sustained questioning from MPs about why he resigned - and why he appeared to criticise the prime minister in his resignation statement.

Yes saying he was not having a go at PM David Cameron
so all those silly storys are wrong.


Watching it Live
is better than the Bloated BBC or Guardian Feckers getting it in a muddle.

[joeysteele]

Oh I think he was having a sort of dig at the PM over the appointment of Coulson at that moment of his resignation anyway.Understandable becasue he would be more angry then.

Thinking of his future at this point in time, there may be that little backtracking now.

[arista]

King Rupert and and his son James
are now live on News channels worldwide now
Not on RTnews or Japan News, though


Some Stupid Public were just removed
they had gone to Protest in this meeting.

There is a lot on backing noise
more Protesters trying to feck it up.


From what James is saying, so far,
he is Slick , Clear and doing well.

[arista]

King Rupert has Spoken Very Well
telling Stupid Watson as the CEO
the News Of The World is just 1% of his company.


Basic he is is to High Up
to deal with is this.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by arista

King Rupert has Spoken Very Well
telling Stupid Watson as the CEO
the News Of The World is just 1% of his company.


Basic he is is to High Up
to deal with is this.

Hmm you might be right, I've only seen a few minutes but he certainly doesn't seem all that aware of what exactly is going on with the NotW, either that or he's just avoiding the questions and knows more than he's letting on