DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

If Brooks and Coulson really wanted to go down all guns blazing they could probably take out pretty much everyone on the way down. A lot depends on how clean Cameron has been over the last few years.

Weirdest thing about all this is the Telegraph praising The Guardian, which really is having its expenses scandal moment right now. It and the Mail are the big winners here.

i can't picture Cameron being "dirty" so much as mixing with a bunch of dodgy bastards who he knows have grubby secrets, but that's called "being in the Conservative party" tbh

Cameron is definitely rattled by this. There was the bit in PMQs where he's saying he takes full responsibility (everything's always full with him - full responsibility, full police inquiry) for hiring people and then he suddenly starts shouting about how appalled he is, like he suddenly remembered he was supposed to be appalled and disgusted and that he shouldn't be reminding people that Coulson was ever anything to do with him. Definitely not cool. Miliband still looked like Tom Brown up against Flashman (<<<obligatory public school reference).

It and the Mail are the big winners here And Hugh Grant.

I found myself baulking at Milliband's tone the other day when he basically said 'I was talking to my wife about this and she was disgusted', a really weird way of distancing actual emotion from himself and still showing some kind of empathy by proxy. Another interviewee I can't recall the name of did something similar, also with reference to their wife, is this some kind of meme?

Well, I took that as a dig because his wife is best friends with Frances Osborne.

Hugh Grant is on Question Time this eve, BTW. I'm conflicted, because there was an incident with one of my best friends where he was proven to be Unsafe In Taxis.

he didn't wear his seatbelt?

Gordon Brown was the king of wheeling out his much-more-popular wife whenever he wanted to look human.

that worked

DRUDGE SIREN, the famously family orientated ex-footballer gets involved, etc:

Gary Lineker is close to walking out on his role as a columnist at the News of the World over concerns that the newspaper's involvement in phone hacking could damage his reputation. The former England footballer and host of the BBC's Match of the Day has held urgent talks with the editor of the newspaper, Colin Myler.

There’s a big part of me that wishes Brooks and Coulson would bring everyone else down with them so the rotten system is completely exposed and discredited.

But no doubt Andy Murray syndrome will overcome the British people again, just as it did with the banking crisis, and once more it’ll be like that bit at the end of The Prisoner where McGoohan takes control and yells out “This is our moment! You are free to go!” and everybody carries on exactly as normal and takes no notice.

When it comes to changing Britain, its people nearly always cop out – rebuilding society/starting again, too much like hard work innit.

the newspaper's involvement in phone hacking could damage his reputation.

Taking a strong moral stance there, Gary.

Not everything is like the Prisoner, you know!

(Oh, alright, it is really)

Actually, saw "Dance of the Dead" on ITV4 yesterday morning. A lot of people running round the corridors while 6 and 2 are in some private antechamber, neither quite knowing who's in the frame...

"The Guardian is not your observer anymore, they got emotionally involved.."

Hugh Grant will be approached by an idealistic young NOTW reporter, who looks rather like Keira Knightley. At first they won't get on, but working together will bring them closer ...

xxp The jug-eared crisp-selling adulterous twat shouldn't worry, his reputation is sound.

Gary Lineker is close to walking out

He's close? Can't think there's going to be any more revelations worse than the ones we've already had, so either he's OK with it or maybe he's waiting to see if his own phone was hacked while his son was in hospital with leukaemia?

Well, has there been any "sports" hacking, apart from Gazza's which was more 'private life of a retired sports star"?

Andy Gray received a settlement.

Rooney's voicemail has to have been "hacked", no?

it was the hacking of pfa chair gordon taylor's phone and the payoff that followed which kicked this all off in 2009!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/sep/10/phone-hacking-victims-list

I thought it all started with a story in the notw about either prince william or harry's knee operation which they could've only known about through voicemails

British Legion severs ties with News of the World

not quite rooney, but worth noting

I thought it started with the Prince's injured elbow, and someone thinking "hang on, nobody's discussed or even knows this except for the Prince and the bod he left a message for on their phone" or some such..

(xpost, obv)

"The paper that our boys don't support"

I thought it all started with a story in the notw about either prince william or harry's knee operation which they could've only known about through voicemails

― nate woolls, Thursday, 7 July 2011 10:57 (16 seconds ago) Bookmark

yeah but the inquiry was deliberately "ringfenced" to avoid implying any more than two people were at fault. it's the 2009 story that proved that hacking had been more widespread and that there was complicity between police and NI in a cover-up.

The presence of an unidentified rape victim on that list is pretty disturbing.

So, from a very small issue..

It's funny, this is playing out like Watergate, except that in this particular situation, no-one has come up with a handy one-word descriptor for this that ends in 'gate'. Which will be a first for stories of this kind..

seem to be one or two attempts at 'hackgate', but no-one's really going for it.

The main difference is that WGate was 'investigative journalism brings down President', and this is more "Powers-that-be bring down Newspaper"..

once more it’ll be like that bit at the end of The Prisoner where McGoohan takes control and yells out “This is our moment! You are free to go!” and everybody carries on exactly as normal and takes no notice.

I want to argue that this is too depressing and cynical but it's too OTM.

this is more "Powers-that-be bring down Newspaper"

don't really think said powers are the driving force here. also nothing brought down yet.

this is more like the political and journalistic equivalent of the end of the departed, with nick davies in the mark wahlberg role.

Also, yesterday in PMQs he came over very oddly. Even Miliband was able to get him all riled up. Just what has Brooks got on everyone?

That's no great achievement, it's easy to wind Cameron up, he's an arrogant cunt with a sense of entitlement a million miles high. News International will have everything on everyone within a 100 yards of this story.

True, but Miliband has seemed particularly inept at getting Cameron all red in the face.

He's particularly inept at most things

Fair enough.

ah man remember when there was a Labour party? kinda miss those guys

probably better for them that everyone has forgotten they exist during this

Your powers of recall are phenomenal, I must say (xp)

it's sad they was a socialists

i remember those guys. v disrespectful to families of dead servicemen iirc, wore donkey jackets on remembrance sunday.

haha wait Brooks is in charge of NOTW's "internal investigation"?

'After a thorough investigation, I can conclude that there was no wrongdoing at all and we're all squeaky clean', Brooks, 5 minutes ago.

'After a thorough investigation, I can conclude that I was on holiday at the time'

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IT takes a special sort of person to be a copper.

You need tact, diplomacy, humour and good judgment.

You also need courage - bags of it.

Tonight, The Sun will lead the way in celebrating that courage at our 2011 Police Bravery Awards, organised with our friends in the Police Federation.

Earlier, the 59 nominees will meet the Prime Minister at a reception in Downing St.

The Awards are a highlight of The Sun's year. We are honoured to pass on the nation's thanks to those who keep our streets safe and put their lives on the line for the rest of us.

We are also delighted today's ceremonies are being marked by another welcome outbreak of Government common sense.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling tells The Sun that 999 workers need never again worry about falling foul of health and safety rules if they take risks to save lives.

That builds on last week's good news that nannying regulations spoiling school trips are being scrapped.

Tonight's ceremony will end with one officer being crowned Britain's bravest.

But throughout our country, coppers show heroism every day.

To them all, The Sun is proud to say: Thank you.

We will never forget the sacrifices you make to keep us safe.

In a hat.

IT takes a special sort of person to be a copper.

You need tact, diplomacy, humour and good judgment.

You also need money - bags of it, left behind the radiator in the waiting room in Victoria Station