8 Jul 2011

LIVE BLOG: News of the World scandal

David Cameron addresses a press conference in the wake of the decision to close the News of the World, telling journalists he would have accepted Rebekah Brooks’s resignation.

News of the World scandal - live blog

18:00: Today’s live blog is closing with the news that the meeting at News International ended some 15 minutes ago. Rebekah Wade apparently alluded to the possibility of worse news to come over the coming months. She did not rule out the possibility of a publication to replace the News of the World.

Meanwhile, the staff at Wapping continue to prepare for the NoW’s final edition this Sunday.

16.58: @sophyridge, Sky News political correspondent, has tweeted that Rebekah Brooks also paid tribute at the meeting to the “talented and untainted” staff at NoW.

16.38: Reports from the meeting say that Rebekah Brooks has told the assembled News of the World staff that she felt “bitterly betrayed” by recent developments at the newspaper. Messages on the Twittersphere suggest James Murdoch is to make another announcement at 5pm.

Meanwhile, BSkyB shares have tumbled 7 per cent today, while those of other media conglomerates such as Trinity Mirror have risen.

16.26: @tweetminster tweeting that Rebekah Brooks has said she is staying on as News International CEO and that the decision to close News of the World was taken with the prospect of another two years of trouble ahead.

Police removing items from the house of Andy Coulson (Getty)

Above: police removing items earlier today from the house of Andy Coulson (Getty)

16.10: Ofcom has announced today that it will contact police to determine if the News of the World phone hacking allegations are relevant to whether News Corporation is a “fit and proper” owner of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

16.06: Sky News is reporting that Rebekah Brooks has told News of the World staff at a meeting at News International that attempts will be made to find NoW staff jobs elsewhere.

16.05: Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson is thought to be at Lewisham police station. He was arrested on suspicion of corruption and phone hacking earlier today.

Rebekah Brooks reportedly told News of the World staff she felt ‘bitterly betrayed’ by recent events.

The meeting apparently began with an apology from Rebekah Brooks for the fact that staff could not access the internet today. She went on to inform NoW employees that the brand had been deemed “toxic” as a result of the phone hacking revelations.

16.00: Suggestions on Twitter that despite the internet lockdown at News International, some journalists at the meeting in Wapping could try to stream the event, which is about to begin.

15.22: Former Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt is quoting another Daily Star source on his Twitter feed as saying: “Plain clothes Police were here. They didn’t raid newsroom, just took stuff frm Goodman’s desk. Low key.”

15.10: A police source has told the Reuters news agency that police are searching the London offices of the Daily Star newspaper.

Meanwhile, the Brand Republic Twitter feed is saying that Renault has suspended advertising with all News International newspapers, “despite the publisher’s decision to close News of the World”.

Click image for Channel 4 News videos from the phone hacking scandal

14.36: Reports say News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks is to address staff at News International at 4pm this afternoon.

14.23: Speaking on BBC News, Tony Blair’s former communications chief Alastair Campbell says now there is the opportunity to open a genuine debate on the settlement between politics, the media and the people in this country.

Mr Campbell acknowledges that Andy Coulson did a very good job for David Cameron in opposition, but suggests that David Cameron was wrong to ignore warnings about Mr Coulson once he had become Prime Minister.

13.57: Statement by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service: “In light of further emerging developments regarding the News of the World, the Crown has asked Strathclyde Police to consider and assess specific claims of phone hacking and breaches of data protection in Scotland.

“Strathclyde Police will review available information and will liaise with the Metropolitan Police in relation to any Scottish dimension to their current investigations and will thereafter report their findings to the Area Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow.”

12.34: Clive Goodman, former NoW royal correspondent, is reported to have been rearrested.

12.33: John Prescott has just tweeted a link to a Guardian page containing a copy of the letter he sent to David Cameron (“Dear Mr Cameron”) in 2009, expressing his concern at Mr Cameron’s choice as his communications director.

Key players at the News of the World.

12.25: Labour leader Ed Miliband says the British public wants David Cameron to face up to what he did wrong in chosing Andy Coulson to be his head of communications.

He says the Prime Minister should not “plough on regardless” in relation to the News Corporation bid for the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB.

And he expresses disappointment at Mr Cameron’s failure to respond to the “clear public outrage” in regard to phone hacking at News of the World.

12.20: Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has released a statement to the effect that he expects it will take “some time” to arrive at a decision on whether or not News Corporation can bid for the remainder of BSkyB.

The statement reads: “The consultation on undertakings in lieu offered by News Corporation in relation to their proposed merger with BSkyB closes at midday today. The secretary of state has always been clear that he will take as long as is needed to reach a decision.

“The secretary of state will consider carefully all the responses submitted and take advice from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading before reaching his decision.

“Given the volume of responses, we anticipate that this will take some time. He will consider all relevant factors including whether the announcement regarding the News of the World’s closure has any impact on the question of media plurality.”

11.51: As the spotlight is turned once again on Andy Coulson, read our profile of the former No.10 communications chief: Andy Coulson and a career of controversy. When he resigned in January, he famously announced: “When the spokesman needs a spokesman, it’s time to move on.”

11.31: Speaking on Sky News, Shadow Culture Secretary Ivan Lewis states there is a contradiction between David Cameron’s assertion that he would have accepted Rebekah Wade’s resignation on Wednesday and his decision to employ Andy Coulson as his head of communications at No.10.

11.23: Writing for Channel 4 News last night, Business Correspondent Siobhan Kennedy noted that the decision to close down News of the World had complicated Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s decision on whether to allow News Corp’s takeover bid for BSkyB to proceed.

She quoted a source close to the Culture Secretary as saying it was now not clear how he could proceed with a judgement on the takeover becuase the dynamics of Britain’s media market had changed.

David Cameron appeared to confirm this view at his press conference today. He said: “(Jeremy Hunt’s) role is to take the advice of independent regulators and, as his department have made clear this morning, given the events of recent days, this will take some time.”

11.10: Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor and David Cameron’s ex-head of communications, has been arrested on suspicion of corruption and phone hacking.

11.00: Speaking at the press conference earlier, Mr Cameron said he took full responsibility for the decision to hire Andy Coulson, his former communications director. “I made the decision,” he admits.

“It is fair to say… as someone who ran communications for the Conservatives and then in government, people didn’t actually have a complaint about how (Andy Coulson) did his job.”

Reports last night, carried on Channel 4 News, suggest that Mr Coulson could be arrested today.

10.46: Shares in BSkyB are continuing to fall amid fears that yesterday’s decision to close the News of the World will not be enough to ensure that News Corporation’s bid to acquire the British satellite broadcaster will be successful.

The BSkyB share price has fallen 4 per cent so far this morning. It takes the total decline in the share price since the start of the week – when the news that murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone had allegedly been hacked – to 6 per cent.

News Corporation, which already has a 39 per cent stake in BSky bid, wants to acquire the remaining 61 per cent.

10.30: The Prime Minister’s press conference having ended, journalists are digesting what he has said.

First, he announced that there would be a judicial inquiry, led by a judge. He said it would investigate why the initial police investigation into phone hacking at News of the World had “failed so abysmally” and what had gone on at that newspaper – and others.

But the inquiry will not begin until the police investigation has finished, Mr Cameron said.

The Prime Minister also announced that he would have accepted the resignation of Rebekah Brooks, News International’s chief executive. Reports say that Ms Brooks offered her resignation on Wednesday evening but that it was rejected.

10.21: David Cameron says: “The police have got the resources, the scale, to follow the evidence wherever it leaves.”

He continues: “My responsibility is to make sure all those questions are answered” – about the police inquiry, about the public inquiries, and about the relationship between politicians and the press.

“The police must feel they can go where they need… They must go where they need and question everyone to get to the bottom of this.”

The Prime Minister says that some of the families in this country who have suffered the most are being made to suffer again in the most horrendous way. “The whole country feels appalled and pain on their behalf that this is happening. That is why it is so vital as a country that we grip this.”

10.18am: David Cameron says he was given a key assurance by Andy Coulson that he did not know about the phone hacking at News of the World.

The Prime Minister says he became friends with Andy Coulson over four years. “He did (his job) in a very effective way.” He continues: “He is a friend.”

News of the World scandal