British PM fights back in hacking scandal

London : Prime Minister David Cameron began the defence of his premiership after revelations in the phone hacking scandal that has engulfed the British press, police and political elite. Journalists have often compared the phone hacking scandal to Watergate, the bungled political bugging in the US that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. The parallels became a lot stronger as Labour MP Nick Raynsford said during the questions that when a former News of the World editor was serving as the head of communications for Prime Minister David Cameron that “there was a complaint to the cabinet secretary about covert surveillance directed at a senior official in government service”, as reported by the Guardian. [caption id=“attachment_44917” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] In addition to the phone hacking, new accusations of illegal bugging, computer hacking and access to financial and health records have been levelled against journalists not just at News of the World, but to other Murdoch newspapers in the UK. Cameron was repeatedly attacked in the Commons over his ties to Murdoch’s media empire including hiring former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his head of communications. Coulson had resigned as editor over the hacking scandal, and he was forced to resign from his position in the government as new details of phone hacking came to light in the autumn of 2010. “If Andy Coulson knew about hacking, he would have lied to select committee, police and he would have lied to me,” he said, adding that it would be not only a disgrace that Coulson worked in government, but he would also be subject to prosecutions. The prime minister said that knowing what he knew now, he wouldn’t have hired Coulson. He was repeatedly asked whether he was involved in the discussions of Murdoch’s News Corp bid for the 61 percent of BSkyB that the company did not already own. Quoting former News of the World editor and News International CEO Rebekah Brooks’ testimony, Cameron said that he had no inappropriate discussions with her. He said that he was not involved in any discussions about the BSkyB bid. Cameron repeatedly pushed back against charges that he had a cozy relationship with Murdoch and his lieutenants, saying that both parties have been too close to the media baron. Rupert Murdoch gave David Cameron a bit of cover in his testimony before a Parliamentary committee on Wednesday when the media baron said the British politician he was closest to was Gordon Brown when he served as the chancellor of the exchequer. In responding to an opposition question about too close ties between politicians and the Murdoch press, Cameron said that it was his government that set up a full-ranging inquiry and a fully staffed police investigation. “His government for 13 years had all these opportunities and did nothing,” he thundered.