MPs to summon main players in phone-tapping row
By politics.co.uk staff
MPs on the culture, media and sport committee are meeting to discuss how to respond to the Guardian story on the News of the World phone tapping scandal.
They are expected to list the journalists they wish to question as they summon the main actors to explain themselves.
Andy Coulson, former deputy editor and editor of the News of the World, and currently David Cameron’s head of public relations, will be called to answer questions.
He was embroiled in the original scandal in which one of his journalists was caught trying to phone tap a member of the royal household and has now found himself under intense scrutiny as the full implications of today’s allegations become clear.
Mr Cameron is still backing him but the similarities between his case and that of Damian McBride, Gordon Brown’s spin doctor, are so strong he may eventually have to be cut adrift.
Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who broke the story, and author of Flat Earth News, a book which lambasted the media profession for failing in its duty to the public, will also be called to attend.
So will Les Hinton, one of Rupert Murdoch’s most trusted men, and the executive chairman of News International Ltd.
The culture, media and sport committee’s credibility is at stake because it investigated the phone-tapping carried out by its royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, who was jailed for four months in January 2007.
It was assured at the time no one other than Goodman was aware of the phone-tapping.
