Missing Milly Dowler's voicemail "hacked by News of the World"

[agricola]

The Independent are running "DPP was warned hacking was rife at Murdoch paper" back in 2006, nearly six months before the convictions of Mulcaire and Goodman, as their main story tomorrow

http://twitpic.com/5vs6sf/full

Lord MacDonald, then DPP, went on to work for News International.

Suspicious, though does anyone here honestly think that Goldsmith (who appears to be the source for the Indy's story) wouldnt pass that on to his boss? Or that his (Goldsmiths) boss wouldnt have interfered with an investigation of this kind?

 

[Bernie Gunther]

Well his opinions on the Iraq war would tend to prove that Goldsmith was an invertebrate ...

 

[Streathamite]

Grauniad questions to Cameron re vetting:
1. Was Andy Coulson asked to undergo developed vetting (DV)?

2. Did Coulson decline to undergo developed vetting?

3. Which Downing Street and/or Cabinet Office officials decided that it would be appropriate for Coulson to be vetted at the lower "security check" level?

4. Was the prime minister involved in the decision to have Coulson vetted at the lower SC level, or informed after it was taken by officials?

5. Were other officials and ministers who might ordinarily have expected a No 10 press secretary to have DV clearance informed that he was not vetted to that level?

6. What meetings did Coulson attend relating to national security issues, the war in Afghanistan or counter-terrorism?

7. Was Coulson interviewed as part of the process of his security vetting?

8. If it was not considered necessary for Coulson to have DV clearance why are both his successor and his former deputy undergoing developed vetting?

here's another one; how come just about all of coulson's successor's and predecessors were vetted to the highest level - but not him, and him alone? What's so unique about Coulson, other than the near certain knowledge he wouldn't pass, due to the NI issues?

 

[Streathamite]

If going to a party at which was hosted by someone related to Murdoch is sufficient to disqualify people from having an oversight role on this, shouldnt the vast majority of MPs (and certainly the vast majority of ministers, shadow ministers and ex-ministers) have recused themselves by now?

Yes, but they can't, and it's unfeasible. In a world as incestuous, villagey and enclosed as the westminster-meejah world, it's virtually impossible to nail someone for going to a drinks bash.
I've been to a BAe drinks do, and (long ago) an NI one - what am I guilty of? Nowt. Same goes for anyone else.

 

[Streathamite]

Yep, that's the key thing for me here, to expose how they're all interconnected. Others have their own priorities.

of course they are, like you are 'connected' with everyone you've ever gone into a pub with. How is that relevant, other than that the individuals in question have rather more power than you or I?

 

[Streathamite]

He can hand off part of the responsibility for letting Coulson see and hear stuff beyond his clearance to the Cabinet Secretary.

do you reckon Sir Gus would be happy to take all the shit for that, at a risk to his professional reputation?

 

[agricola]

Yes, but they can't, and it's unfeasible. In a world as incestuous, villagey and enclosed as the westminster-meejah world, it's virtually impossible to naqil someone for going to a drinks bash.
I've been to a BAe drinks do, and (long ago) an NI one - what am I guilty of? Nowt. Same goes for anyone else.

I agree, but doesnt that make the attacks on Leverson especially - and unpleasantly - hypocritical? He is a very senior judge who should not be slated for being biased before he has heard one second of evidence, least of all by a bunch of twats, one of whom thought the Hutton Report was "sober, considered and spot on"*, and who blatantly have a interest in concealing their own considerable involvement (or "guilt", if you prefer a shorter word) in this particular scandal?

* that is when he wasnt making unreasonable demands of the BBC

 

[Streathamite]

Pervert !!!

yeah fair enuff sorry guv

 

[Streathamite]

I agree, but doesnt that make the attacks on Leverson especially - and unpleasantly - hypocritical? He is a very senior judge who should not be slated for being biased before he has heard one second of evidence, least of all by a bunch of twats, one of whom thought the Hutton Report was "sober, considered and spot on"*, and who blatantly have a interest in concealing their own considerable involvement (or "guilt", if you prefer a shorter word) in this particular scandal?

* that is when he wasnt making unreasonable demands of the BBC

agreed, but due to the highly sensitive nature of these enquiries, it's best if they find someone - anyone - who has as minimal a connection as possible, to anything even slightly NI. It's just asking for trouble otherwise, and although m'lud Leveson has a high forensic reputation, I don't believe he is the only man in the country who can conduct this inquiry.

 

[laptop]

Had to come out sooner or later, given the numbers:

Now it's the turn of lawyers and the legal process to be sucked into the phone-hacking vortex. The Law Society has even suggested justice itself is under threat, implying messages could have been intercepted with the intention of influencing court cases.

Several prominent solicitors fear their mobile phones have been hacked. Some have been formally informed of the risk by police after detectives discovered their numbers among a private investigator's notes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/butte...law/2011/jul/25/phone-hacking-lawyers-mobiles

Story not going into retirement for the silly season, then

 

[editor]

There's a whole load more to come I reckon

 

[agricola]

agreed, but due to the highly sensitive nature of these enquiries, it's best if they find someone - anyone - who has as minimal a connection as possible, to anything even slightly NI. It's just asking for trouble otherwise, and although m'lud Leveson has a high forensic reputation, I don't believe he is the only man in the country who can conduct this inquiry.

They dont want an independent, unimpeachable and honest person in charge though - in fact, thats the last thing they want.

 

[Streathamite]

They dont want an independent, unimpeachable and honest person in charge though - in fact, thats the last thing they want.

sadly true, but I'm hoping this is now to big a hot potato for them to try a fast one or anything funny

 

[King Biscuit Time]

Re: The Guardian's questions for Cameron on Coulson's vetting (or lack of) - Is this the kind of thing that can be dealt with by a FoI request - or will they have to pin the slippery fucker down in some way?

 

[ViolentPanda]

do you reckon Sir Gus would be happy to take all the shit for that, at a risk to his professional reputation?

He wouldn't have much choice. If he doesn't, all the contacts he's spent his Civil Service career cultivating will give him the cold shoulder. Civil Servants who don't step into the breach and die for their masters are frowned upon by their own kind.

And, to be fair, if he does take a bullet, he'll be handsomely rewarded further down the line.

 

[Streathamite]

He wouldn't have much choice. If he doesn't, all the contacts he's spent his Civil Service career cultivating will give him the cold shoulder. Civil Servants who don't step into the breach and die for their masters are frowned upon by their own kind.

And, to be fair, if he does take a bullet, he'll be handsomely rewarded further down the line.

ahhh...right yes, I see the point

 

[cybertect]

Mirror Group are now conducting their own internal investigation "review of editorial controls and procedures"...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/26/hack_mirror_group/

 

[Kizmet]

Sly by name?

 

[London_Calling]

The willingness of newspaper groups to conduct internal investigations is all you need to know about how much they have to hide.

 

[Kizmet]

Internal investigation = burn everything.

 

[MellySingsDoom]

...and (perhaps a little unsurprisingly), Paul Staines has piped up w/yet more of Moron' indiscretions, which are however related to this whole business - read here

 

[Santino]

Tom Watson on Twitter, just now: "The hacking scandal is about nosedive to a whole new low. How could these people do what they did?"

 

[butchersapron]

Rumours of something that's going to trump the lot coming out quite soon. From normally v good sources.

 

[butchersapron]

Bastard

 

[Idris2002]

Rumours of something that's going to trump the lot coming out quite soon. From normally v good sources.

I knew I should have bought those shares in Consolidated Popcorn Inc.

 

[King Biscuit Time]

Tom Watson on Twitter, just now: "The hacking scandal is about nosedive to a whole new low. How could these people do what they did?"

Have just read this, wondering what they can possibly have done that is worse. I just thought there would be more equally murky stuff dribbling out for a while, but now I'm intrigued.

 

[Santino]

In your face, Butchers!

 

[Idris2002]

Tom Watson on Twitter, just now: "The hacking scandal is about nosedive to a whole new low. How could these people do what they did?"

A new low? How could it get any lower?

 

[laptop]

Rumours of something that's going to trump the lot coming out quite soon. From normally v good sources.

Would this be Rebecca B's "more" already?

I note, belatedly, that the "you will be hearing from us" in the first round of News International apology ads hasn't shown up yet.

 

[King Biscuit Time]

I knew I should have bought those shares in Consolidated Popcorn Inc.

I'm sitting pretty (lol) with my massive position on International Deckchairs inc.