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David Cameron faces questions as Met commissioner quits Pressure on senior Met officer over phone-hacking probe
(about 2 hours later)
  
Prime Minister David Cameron is facing renewed questions over the phone-hacking scandal after the head of the Metropolitan Police resigned. The future of Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates has been called into question as the phone-hacking scandal fall-out continues.
Sir Paul Stephenson was criticised for hiring ex-News of the World executive Neil Wallis as an adviser. He checked the credentials of Neil Wallis before the Met employed the ex-News of the World executive, who has been questioned over hacking claims.
Sir Paul said his integrity was intact, but referred to the PM's former aide Andy Coulson. The ex-NoW editor and Mr Wallis have been questioned by police. The Met Police Authority is considering Mr Yates's future and London's mayor said he had "questions to answer".
The PM said the Met Police's inquiry must go "wherever the evidence leads". It comes after Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson resigned on Sunday.
He made the comments at a press conference in South Africa, where he is currently on a trade visit aimed at boosting dealings with emerging African economies. The resignation of Sir Paul, the most senior policeman in Britain, came after he was criticised for hiring Mr Wallis as an adviser.
The prime minister has cut the trip from five days to two amid the continuing phone-hacking scandal. Mr Wallis, a former NoW deputy editor, was arrested and released on bail on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.
Mr Cameron thanked Sir Paul for "the great work he has done in policing over many, many years". Mayor of London Boris Johnson said he was very angry he had not been told that Mr Wallis had worked for Scotland Yard.
And, referring to the continued fall-out from the phone-hacking inquiry, he said: "The Metropolitan Police Service inquiry must go wherever the evidence leads. They should investigate without fear or favour. Referring to Sir Paul's decision to resign, he said: "The whole thing added up to a problem - a problem of perceptions that was just going to go on and on. And he [Sir Paul] felt, as a guy who really loves ... takes huge pride in his job, who has done a great deal of good, that he didn't want to be endlessly sitting there answering inquiries, answering questions about phone hacking."
"I have said that repeatedly and it's absolutely vital they feel that." And the mayor said Mr Yates had "questions to answer" about his relationship with Mr Wallis.
During the press conference, Mr Cameron was asked about the difference between him employing former NoW editor Mr Coulson as his director of communications and the Met's employment of Mr Wallis as a public relations adviser. The Metropolitan Police Authority's (MPA) professional standards committee has confirmed it will be discussing Mr Yates's future at its meeting on Monday.
The prime minister said: "I don't believe the two situations are the same in any shape or form. The MPA, which has the power to investigate a senior officer, is examining his links with Mr Wallis. It is expected to make a statement on Mr Yates later.
"In terms of Andy Coulson, no-one has argued that the work he did in government in any way was inappropriate or bad. He worked well in government and then left government. 'Untenable' position
"There is a contrast with the situation at the Metropolitan Police where, clearly, the issues have been around whether or not the investigation is being pursued properly." Meanwhile, Keith Vaz, who chairs the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said Mr Yates had been recalled to give evidence before MPs on Tuesday.
Potential suspect Mr Yates has been heavily criticised for refusing to re-open the phone hacking investigation in 2009.
At the weekend, Sir Paul was criticised for having hired former News of the World executive Neil Wallis as an adviser. Mr Yates expressed regret at that decision when he appeared before the home affairs select committee last Tuesday.
Mr Wallis was arrested and released on bail on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. However, he insisted that he had always told the truth to MPs investigating the issue and suggested that the News of the World "failed to co-operate" with police until the start of this year.
href="http://content.met.police.uk/News/Statement-from-the-Commissioner/1260269279260/1257246741786" title="Sir Paul's resignation statement" >In his resignation statement, the outgoing Met Police chief suggested that Mr Cameron's relationship with Mr Coulson, his former Downing Street director of communications, had caused him difficulties. MPA member Christopher Boothman said Mr Yates's position had become "untenable" after Sir Paul's resignation.
Mr Coulson, who resigned from the No 10 job and earlier as News of the World editor over the scandal, was subsequently arrested and bailed over his alleged involvement in paying police officers and phone hacking. But the BBC's Danny Shaw said sources close to Mr Yates say he has no intention of resigning.
In the outgoing Met chief's resignation statement, Sir Paul suggested that the prime minister's relationship with ex-NoW editor Andy Coulson, his former Downing Street director of communications, had caused him difficulties.
Mr Coulson, who resigned from the No 10 job and earlier as NoW editor over the scandal, was subsequently arrested and bailed over his alleged involvement in paying police officers and phone hacking.
The Met Police chief also drew comparisons between the hiring of two former NoW executives - Mr Coulson by the prime minister and Mr Wallis by Scotland Yard.
In his statement, Sir Paul said: "Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge, been in any way associated with the original phone-hacking investigation."In his statement, Sir Paul said: "Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge, been in any way associated with the original phone-hacking investigation."
He went on: "Once Mr Wallis's name did become associated with Operation Weeting, I did not want to compromise the prime minister in any way by revealing or discussing a potential suspect who clearly had a close relationship with Mr Coulson.He went on: "Once Mr Wallis's name did become associated with Operation Weeting, I did not want to compromise the prime minister in any way by revealing or discussing a potential suspect who clearly had a close relationship with Mr Coulson.
"I am aware of the many political exchanges in relation to Mr Coulson's previous employment - I believe it would have been extraordinarily clumsy of me to have exposed the prime minister, or by association the home secretary, to any accusation, however unfair, as a consequence of them being in possession of operational information in this regard. Similarly, the mayor."I am aware of the many political exchanges in relation to Mr Coulson's previous employment - I believe it would have been extraordinarily clumsy of me to have exposed the prime minister, or by association the home secretary, to any accusation, however unfair, as a consequence of them being in possession of operational information in this regard. Similarly, the mayor.
"Because of the individuals involved, their positions and relationships, these were I believe unique circumstances.""Because of the individuals involved, their positions and relationships, these were I believe unique circumstances."
Threat to No 10
Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said that if Sir Paul felt that the "compromised relationship" between the prime minister and Mr Coulson "prevented him from telling the home secretary what was happening" and discussing operational matters with the home secretary, it meant the Met commissioner had been put in "an extremely difficult situation".Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said that if Sir Paul felt that the "compromised relationship" between the prime minister and Mr Coulson "prevented him from telling the home secretary what was happening" and discussing operational matters with the home secretary, it meant the Met commissioner had been put in "an extremely difficult situation".
'Problem of perceptions' Home Secretary Theresa May is set to make a statement to the House of Commons later over the links between the Met Police and News International, publisher of the NoW.
Home Secretary Theresa May told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that both she and the prime minister had been clear that "the Metropolitan Police must investigate all allegations and investigate all evidence and take it as far as it goes". Earlier, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that both she and the prime minister had been clear that "the Metropolitan Police must investigate all allegations and investigate all evidence and take it as far as it goes".
"If the Metropolitan Police found, at any stage, that they have a potential conflict of interest, I think it's right for them to be transparent about that," she said."If the Metropolitan Police found, at any stage, that they have a potential conflict of interest, I think it's right for them to be transparent about that," she said.
BBC Radio 4's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Sir Paul seemed to seek to push the focus back onto Downing Street by highlighting the prime minister's decision to recruit Mr Coulson - a move that had infuriated No 10.BBC Radio 4's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Sir Paul seemed to seek to push the focus back onto Downing Street by highlighting the prime minister's decision to recruit Mr Coulson - a move that had infuriated No 10.
He said it was Mr Cameron's links to Mr Coulson which still threatened to cause the most damage to the prime minister over the hacking scandal.He said it was Mr Cameron's links to Mr Coulson which still threatened to cause the most damage to the prime minister over the hacking scandal.
Our correspondent said it was clear that there was immense political pressure on Sir Paul after the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, told him that his confidence in him had been severely shaken. Our correspondent said it was clear there was immense political pressure on Sir Paul after London's mayor told him that his confidence in him had been severely shaken.
Mr Johnson told the BBC he was angry that he had not been told that Mr Wallis had later worked for Scotland Yard.
He said: "The whole thing added up to a problem - a problem of perceptions that was just going to go on and on. And he [Sir Paul] felt, as a guy who really loves ... takes huge pride in his job, who has done a great deal of good, that he didn't want to be endlessly sitting there answering inquiries, answering questions about phone hacking."
The mayor also referred to questions about the ongoing role of Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates, which he suggested would be addressed at a meeting later of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), which scrutinises the police service's work.
The home secretary is set to make a statement to the House of Commons later over the links between the Met and News International.
And Labour leader Ed Miliband is to blame the scandal on a culture of "irresponsibility" that also led to the banking crisis and MPs' abuse of their expenses.
In a speech later, he will say that all three episodes were caused by some of the most powerful people in society thinking they were "untouchable" and could act as they pleased.
Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive who had been editor of the News of the World when some alleged hacking took place, was arrested and released on bail on Sunday as part of the investigation.Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive who had been editor of the News of the World when some alleged hacking took place, was arrested and released on bail on Sunday as part of the investigation.
Her solicitor, Stephen Parkinson, later issued a statement which criticised the Met Police saying that, despite a nine-hour interview, officers had put no allegations to his client and showed her no documents connecting her with any crime.
He said: "They will, in due course, have to give an account of their actions and, in particular, their decision to arrest her with the enormous reputational damage that this has involved."