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Phone hacking: Cameron's 'regret' over hiring Coulson | Phone hacking: Cameron's 'regret' over hiring Coulson |
(40 minutes later) | |
David Cameron has told MPs that "with hindsight" he would not have hired ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson. | David Cameron has told MPs that "with hindsight" he would not have hired ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson. |
In the closest he has come to an apology, the PM said: "Of course I regret, and I am extremely sorry, about the furore it has caused." | In the closest he has come to an apology, the PM said: "Of course I regret, and I am extremely sorry, about the furore it has caused." |
Mr Coulson quit the NoW over phone hacking, saying he knew nothing about it but took ultimate responsibility. | |
Amid stormy Commons scenes Labour leader Ed Miliband said hiring him was a "catastrophic error of judgement". | |
BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said "bit by bit, Mr Cameron is cutting Mr Coulson further adrift". | |
The prime minister returned early from a trip to Africa to make an emergency statement on the phone hacking crisis. | |
He said that if Mr Coulson - Mr Cameron's former media spokesman - had lied about phone hacking at his time at the News of the World then he should face "severe" criminal charges. | He said that if Mr Coulson - Mr Cameron's former media spokesman - had lied about phone hacking at his time at the News of the World then he should face "severe" criminal charges. |
'Protect himself' | 'Protect himself' |
He added: "If it turns out I have been lied to that would be a moment for a profound apology, and in that event I can tell you I will not fall short." | He added: "If it turns out I have been lied to that would be a moment for a profound apology, and in that event I can tell you I will not fall short." |
And he told MPs that with hindsight "I would not have offered him the job and I expect that he wouldn't have taken it". | And he told MPs that with hindsight "I would not have offered him the job and I expect that he wouldn't have taken it". |
But Mr Miliband said this was "not good enough" and repeated questions about Mr Coulson had been met "with a wall of silence" by Mr Cameron's aides. | But Mr Miliband said this was "not good enough" and repeated questions about Mr Coulson had been met "with a wall of silence" by Mr Cameron's aides. |
"The country has the right to expect that the prime minister would have made every effort to know the facts about Mr Coulson, to protect himself and his office," he said. | "The country has the right to expect that the prime minister would have made every effort to know the facts about Mr Coulson, to protect himself and his office," he said. |
"This can't be put down to gross ignorance. It was a deliberate attempt to hide from the facts on Mr Coulson." | "This can't be put down to gross ignorance. It was a deliberate attempt to hide from the facts on Mr Coulson." |
Labour MPs continued to press Mr Cameron on Mr Coulson throughout the debate - asking what advice he had received from other figures, including the deputy PM Nick Clegg, and which company had been used to vet the former editor before he was hired. | |
They also questioned Mr Cameron about his contacts with another former NoW journalist Neil Wallis. | |
Mr Cameron accused Labour of making a "litany of rather pathetic conspiracy theories to try and win a political game" and also defended his chief of staff Ed Llewellyn, after it was suggested on Tuesday he had failed to pass on information about phone hacking to the PM. | |
Mr Cameron also faced a barrage of questions from Labour MPs over whether he had broken the ministerial code by discussing Rupert Murdoch's bid to take control of BSkyB with News International executives such as Rebekah Brooks. | Mr Cameron also faced a barrage of questions from Labour MPs over whether he had broken the ministerial code by discussing Rupert Murdoch's bid to take control of BSkyB with News International executives such as Rebekah Brooks. |
To roars of outrage from the Opposition benches, Mr Cameron replied: "I never had any inappropriate conversations". | To roars of outrage from the Opposition benches, Mr Cameron replied: "I never had any inappropriate conversations". |
He insisted he had taken himself out of the decision-making process entirely - and that his Labour predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had enjoyed a closer relationship with the Murdoch empire than him. | He insisted he had taken himself out of the decision-making process entirely - and that his Labour predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had enjoyed a closer relationship with the Murdoch empire than him. |
He grew increasingly exasperated as Labour MPs continue to press him on whether he had discussed BSkyB with News International executives - when one Labour MP asked if he had ever mentioned the word in their presence, he sighed heavily and sat back down again without saying a word, to laughter from his own benches. | |
Several Conservative MPs stood up to attack the previous Labour government's record on dealing with press intrusion, previous No 10 aides Damian McBride and Alastair Campbell and Mr Miliband's own communications director - former News International journalist Tom Baldwin. | |
Emergency debate | Emergency debate |
Public confidence in the media and the police has been shaken by alleged malpractice at the News of the World and the resignations of two senior Met Police officers. | |
Downing Street released emails on Tuesday showing that Mr Cameron's chief of staff Ed Llewellyn had prevented senior police officers briefing the Tory leader on the phone-hacking investigation. | Downing Street released emails on Tuesday showing that Mr Cameron's chief of staff Ed Llewellyn had prevented senior police officers briefing the Tory leader on the phone-hacking investigation. |
Mr Coulson's former deputy at the News of the World, Neil Wallis, also gave "informal" advice to the Conservative Party ahead of the election, the party has confirmed. | Mr Coulson's former deputy at the News of the World, Neil Wallis, also gave "informal" advice to the Conservative Party ahead of the election, the party has confirmed. |
Both Mr Wallis and Mr Coulson have since been arrested and questioned by detectives on the new phone-hacking inquiry launched earlier this year. | Both Mr Wallis and Mr Coulson have since been arrested and questioned by detectives on the new phone-hacking inquiry launched earlier this year. |
In other developments in the phone hacking saga: | In other developments in the phone hacking saga: |
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The Commons is sitting for an extra day after the prime minister delayed MPs' summer recess so he could address the issue. | The Commons is sitting for an extra day after the prime minister delayed MPs' summer recess so he could address the issue. |
A general debate on public confidence in the media and police which could last up to six hours. | A general debate on public confidence in the media and police which could last up to six hours. |