[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14181344

Prime Minister David Cameron is facing renewed questions over the phone-hacking scandal after the head of the Metropolitan Police resigned.

Sir Paul Stephenson was criticised for hiring ex-News of the World executive Neil Wallis as an adviser.

Sir Paul said his integrity was intact, but referred to the PM's former aide Andy Coulson. The ex-NoW editor and Mr Wallis have been questioned by police.

The PM said the Met Police's inquiry must go "wherever the evidence leads".

He made the comments at a press conference in South Africa, where he is currently on a trade visit aimed at boosting dealings with emerging African economies.

The prime minister has cut the trip from five days to two amid the continuing phone-hacking scandal.

During the press conference, Mr Cameron was asked about the difference between him employing former NoW editor Mr Coulson as his director of communications and the Met's employment of Mr Wallis as a public relations adviser.

The prime minister said: "I don't believe the two situations are the same in any shape or form.

"In terms of Andy Coulson, no-one has argued that the work he did in government in any way was inappropriate or bad. He worked well in government and then left government.

"There is a contrast with the situation at the Metropolitan Police where, clearly, the issues have been around whether or not the investigation is being pursued properly."

Ah, smell the bullsh ..... spin .....

[joeysteele]

Well David Cameron knew Brookes and the Murdochs were going to the committe on Tuesday so he knew questions would need to be asked on that.

Maybe he was unwise to go on this trip but its good he is cutting it short.He cannot leave Dopey Clegg to deal with this one, unless he wants it to massively explode.

He's in a sticky position is the PM on this one, people who are falling themselves if they know anything damaging are likely to turn on him.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14183281

1155:

A new list of Prime Minister David Cameron's contacts with senior media figures will be released later after some "omissions" were identified, a Downing Street spokeswoman says.

"omissions" - how did that come about, then .....

[Livia]

I hope we're also going to see a list of contacts from Labour? And the LibDems of course. And good luck with any of their press offices offering up every bit of information they have.

The more David Cameron is pointed at, the less Ruper Murdock and Rebekah Brookes is pointed at. So let's not forget who's actually to blame.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

I hope we're also going to see a list of contacts from Labour? And the LibDems of course. And good luck with any of their press offices offering up every bit of information they have.

The more David Cameron is pointed at, the less Ruper Murdock and Rebekah Brookes is pointed at. So let's not forget who's actually to blame.

Lib Dems, the whiter than white and oh so saintly party, they cannot possibly have any problem on this one. Or could they?

Labour,yes, while they had the support of the Murdoch press particularly, they were loathe to take on any changes or lose any main contact with them. Particularly Mr. Blair who is still held in high regard by the Murdochs.For what??

I feel a bit sorry for Cameron on this one,as I felt a bit sorry for Brown on the expenses scandal too.
Definately the attention should be in the main directed at the Murdoch's and Rebekah Brookes.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

I hope we're also going to see a list of contacts from Labour? And the LibDems of course. And good luck with any of their press offices offering up every bit of information they have.

The more David Cameron is pointed at, the less Ruper Murdock and Rebekah Brookes is pointed at. So let's not forget who's actually to blame.

The buck's gotta stop somewhere - the PM, the CEO and the MPC are the people in charge .....

[joeysteele]

I personally don't think this should bring down the PM but it seems a lot of people and even the media are starting to turn on him now saying he has lots of questions to answer.

He may end up as beinfg seen too close to the conflict to keep any main distance from it,he is the PM and has to be able to credibly from distance inform and help deal with this, if he is to be brought into what Coulson, knew, what Coulson said to him and therefore what he then knew too,then the storm clouds will really gather.

I don't now think anyone can say for certain where this is going or how it will end but the big names falling like flies indicates far more serious issues still to be made known. Where the PM fits into it all will determine his future.

[Zippy]

OK Im getting tired of so many people losing their jobs over this. Most of them innocent.

Its getting ridiculous and seems to have moved on from being about the Dowlers and more about opportunists grappling for power.

I dont believe for a second that Cameron condoned this hacking of the Dowlers or anybody else so no way should he be yet another victim of this OTT drama. TBH Im so bored of hearing the word hacking. Just get the people who directly did it and punish them ffs.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

OK Im getting tired of so many people losing their jobs over this. Most of them innocent.

Its getting ridiculous and seems to have moved on from being about the Dowlers and more about opportunists grappling for power.

I dont believe for a second that Cameron condoned this hacking of the Dowlers or anybody else so no way should he be yet another victim of this OTT drama. TBH Im so bored of hearing the word hacking. Just get the people who directly did it and punish them ffs.

I believe that the complex ramifications of the case may be eluding you .....

In effect, you semm to be saying shoot the soldiers and let the generals go free .....

Presumably, you would claim that Hitler was an innocent party in WWII .....

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Omah

I believe that the complex ramifications of the case may be eluding you .....

In effect, you semm to be saying shoot the soldiers and let the generals go free .....

oh ffs give it a rest with your "you don't get it, but I do" BS.

The prime minister doesnt order people to hack the phones of missing children. I know that much.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

oh ffs give it a rest with your "you don't get it, but I do" BS.

The prime minister doesnt order people to hack the phones of missing children.

But he knows someone who does .....

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Omah

But he knows someone who does .....

well I start from the premise that all politicians are selfish corrupt bitches so really you have to accept that no PM is perfect or without dodgy connections. Lets get real.

Im baffled as to why so many are shocked at the notion of journalists and politicians using underhand, unscrupulous tactics to get secret information. Its always been that way.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Omah

But he knows someone who does .....

Good response Omah.

Obviously I don't believe for one moment that the PM knew about phone hacking at the time, but as you say he certainly knows someone who does and if it turns out the PM knew more when he employed Coulson, then he is in (morally) deep water for not revealing all he knew and more to the point not getting rid of Coulson the moment he knew of anything.

I would say just about all the people around me at present and those I hear talking on this are furious at what's been going on. So I would say the majority of people are wanting to know all and everything as it becomes known.
Even as Livia said above, MPs,partcularly one she works close to, are being inundated with the queries and anger from the public about this issue,in person, via mail,e mail and phone.

[Zippy]

I think the public are just bored at this point.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

I think the public are just bored at this point.

I think some of the public may well be, but others have a more diligent approach .....

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Omah

I think some of the public may well be, but others have a more diligent approach .....

then there's the likes of you who just seem to thrive on gossip and scandal.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Zippy

then there's the likes of you who just seem to thrive on gossip and scandal.

This is all in hand and being Dealt with,
Robot Milliboy has nothing else to do than go on and on
like a demented drone
about this.


But all this went down under Stinking New Labour.



And this Nation is so bored with this
we have more important problems.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Zippy

I think the public are just bored at this point.

Yes pointed out on ITV1's Loose Women
today.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

then there's the likes of you who just seem to thrive on gossip and scandal.

Please don't make personal attacks .....

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by arista

Yes pointed out on ITV1's Loose Women
today.

well I thought it first

Originally Posted by Omah

Please don't make personal attacks .....

oh please. Youve posted about 798 Jordan/Andre threads before. Reading rags, mags and blogs seems to be your full time occupation.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

well I thought it first


oh please. Youve posted about 798 Jordan/Andre threads before. Reading rags, mags and blogs seems to be your full time occupation.

Oh dear ...... the irony of being accused of celebrity preoccupation in a political scandal thread - you do seem to be somewhat confused .....

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Omah

Oh dear ...... the irony of being accused of celebrity preoccupation in a polical scandal thread - you do seem to be somehat confused .....

point is you're a proven gossip-monger. Pretending to be all about upstanding morality and integrity.

People like you are so giddy with excitement at the prospect of a mighty leader being toppled that you can't see that this is just distracting from a whole wealth of serious issues that he needs to be urgently dealing with.

Talk about not being able to see the wood for the trees.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Zippy

People like you are so giddy with excitement at the prospect of a mighty leader being toppled that you can't see that this is just distracting from a whole wealth of serious issues that he needs to be urgently dealing with.

Oh dear, you are so set on being personal, that you just can't see the big picture, can you .....

[Omah]

James Landale Deputy Political Editor, BBC News, with the PM in Africa

When the allegations first emerged that murdered schoolgirl Millie Dowler's phone had been hacked, David Cameron was in Afghanistan and just about to begin the long flight home when the news came through.

The travelling team of officials and journalists were then trapped, effectively incommunicado for 12 hours, since the military are very nervous about the use of mobile phones and Blackberries on their aircraft; such devices tend to switch things on which should not be switched on at 20,000 feet.

It is little wonder that Downing Street was off the pace.

Twelve days on, as the phone hacking controversy continues to rage and destroy careers and reputations at quite astonishing speed, the prime minister is once again overseas, this time in South Africa, banging the drum for British business.

Instead of listening to the prime minister address local business leaders here, his officials can be seen huddling outside around an Ipad listening to BBC Radio 4's World at One or the News Channel.

Just as Assistant Commissioner Yates was issuing his statement, Mr Cameron was sipping tea with Desmond Tutu in a leafy suburb of Johannesburg that was once a meeting place of the armed wing of the ANC.

Some Tory MPs are nervous.

They think Mr Cameron's trips have left him slow to respond to fast-paced developments as the crisis has evolved - however good the communications, it is always difficult for a politician to judge the mood of a crisis back home.

So Mr Cameron has chosen to compromise. He has already scaled back this trip from four days to just two - and is now expected to cut it back further.
The balance he is trying to strike is to be in touch with the crisis but not distracted from other duties.

And not everyone thinks he getting the balance right. Once again, the reality of government is getting in the way of the duck and dive of politics.

C4 have, thoughtfully, provided Phone-Hacking: Connections Of The Key Players for busy people, like Mr Cameron ....

[joeysteele]

Loose Women, who takes any notice of what's said on that programme, it's the worst thing on TV.

I got and would be very bored at the topics they go on about all the time.Politics is life and affects the vast majority of people if not all of them in some way,this is the biggest story in media and politics since the expenses scandal.

I will stick with avidly following the developments of this issue rather than take any notice of the tripe included on the Loose Women show.