Now that the steaming cess-pit that was the News of the World has been exposed – at least in part – the ramifications are widening, not least for our non-elected Prime Minister.
I listened to Mr Irresponsibleâs speech today and his answers to the subsequent questions. This may or may not turn out to be David Cameron’s Iraq or Black Wednesday but it was certainly his Ed Miliband moment.
I lost count of the number of times he repeated the phrases “second chance” (must have been around twenty repetitions) and “resigned all over again” (ten? fifteen?) Was it he who came up with these formulations or one of his scriptwriters? Whatever, he stuck to them like a limpet. Or a comfort blanket.
Before that, though, he said we the public look to the police to protect us, to politicians to represent us and to the press to inform us and that all of them have been let down. I’ll repeat that. All of them have been let down. The police, politicians and the press have been let down?
In such a carefully crafted speech can this have been a slip? (Freudian or otherwise?)
Or does it betray Mr Cameron’s true attitudes? I think the latter part of his performance argues for him still not seeing where he has erred.
Second chance…. second chance…. second chance.
Resigned all over again…. resigned all over again.
These phrases were clearly designed to put Mr Cameron in a positive light. Yes it is entirely worthy to give someone a second chance. I wonder, though, how far David Cameron’s enthusiasm to rehabilitate others would go. Will he now be employing any ex-burglars do you think? Former fraudsters? Rapists? Murderers? Licence-fee dodgers? Others who have had to resign from their jobs for underhand, dodgy or illegal activities? Tax evaders? Oh wait a minute! He’s probably done that last one.
However, “resigned all over again” can have had no other meaning than that Andy Coulson had already been punished for his misdemeanours, indeed had been overpunished. That phrase (despicably, to my mind) tries to cast Mr Coulson as the victim, something which he is very far from. It is there purely to attempt to exculpate: whether Mr Coulson or Mr Cameron I’m not sure. And let’s not forget there was no punishment. Mr Coulson walked into a – presumably well paid – job with Mr Cameron. And, moreover, precisely because of his former job and its connections.
There is also the more pressing question of police entanglement with News International’s operatives (including the apparent payment of money to serving police officers for information.) Is it any surprise that initial investigations into News of the World’s reporters’ activities were tardy and incomplete? The police are there to uphold the law, not to provide juicy tit-bits to journalists; certainly not to benefit from such provision (beyond any help it may have in securing further information from the public.) Press releases and press conferences are fine; underhand undercounter payments for exclusive access are not.
I am reminded of the old Latin tag, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (“Who guards the guardians?”) Are the Metropolitan Police in any position, now, to investigate these matters? Are they not, like the Prime Minister, utterly compromised?
Then there is the implicit protection being part of Mr Irresponsible’s team as Leader of the Opposition and then in Downing Street itself must have given to Andy Coulson. Is it any wonder the police did not pursue him too closely to begin with? When he got the job with David Cameron he must have thought he was fire-proof. No wonder he gave “assurances.” Assurances that were not worth the breath they were uttered with.
Please let David Cameron not get away with this catastrophic misjudgement by pretending to lance the boil the way he pretended to over the MPs expenses scandal. (The main scandal there being actually that those who could pay back their spurious or fraudulent claims have got away with it. Many members of the present UK cabinet included.)
The cosy relationship between politicians and the representatives of News International, the currying of the favour of that organisation politicians (all politicians) undertook – perhaps in the mistaken belief that an interest other than the corporation’s own might then be followed – the hands off treatment of that organisation’s tentacular growth, have all been large contributors to public apathy with the political process. Vote X get Murdoch. Vote Y get Murdoch. Let’s not vote; we’ll get Murdoch anyway.
A free press is indispensible to a functioning democracy. A cohort of politicians in thrall to one section of that press is not.
Today David Cameron promised Public Inquiries. Let their remits be as wide as possible and let them start as soon as possible so that they can take advantage of any information the police investigations turn up. Only under those two conditions will his credibility as PM be restored.
One steaming cess-pit down. How about The Sun next?
(Oh and are the Murdochs fit persons to be in charge of any news organisation?)
