News of The World hacked Milly Dowler's voicemail

[Bellend Sebastian]

Brooks and husband charged:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18062485

She's handled Leveson pretty well so far. Criminal court will be a bit different though

[BoneDog]

If you still don't believe in conspiracies after all of this then you are officially a moran.

The whole system is shady and full to the brim of powerful shit and scum. And they do conspire, as has been proven countless times, in all manner of ways. If you can't see that then your heart is blind.

And Bilos story

Edit : Disclaimer - Not all rich and powerful people are shit and scum. There are other brands out there.

[Webbo]

If you still don't believe in conspiracies after all of this then you are officially a moran.

The whole system is shady and full to the brim of powerful shit and scum. And they do conspire, as has been proven countless times, in all manner of ways. If you can't see that then your heart is blind.

And Bilos story

Edit : Disclaimer - Not all rich and powerful people are shit and scum. There are other brands out there.

There is a public enquiry and trials to follow if it's a conspiracy it's not a very successful one.

[Guest]

There is a public enquiry and trials to follow if it's a conspiracy it's not a very successful one.

Not every conspiracy is a success. Conspiracies are like Leicester City managers.

[Captain...]

There is a public enquiry and trials to follow if it's a conspiracy it's not a very successful one.

Before all this started if someone said that Murdoch and his papers were bribing/blackmailing the police, hacking into peoples phones had MPs in their pockets, it would have been dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

I think that is the point El Empty was making, just because it sounds ridiculous and over the top and beyond the realms of plausibility, doesn't mean it is not true. It is only now there is evidence and facts that back it all up that it stops being a conspiracy theory and becomes an actual conspiracy involving the Murdochs, the Government and the police.

[21st Century Fox]

Watching Tony Blair live at the Leveson Inquiry. A man just busts in and starts shouting at him about being a war criminal. Bodyguards flank Blair. DRAMA!

[Bellend Sebastian]

Watching Tony Blair live at the Leveson Inquiry. A man just busts in and starts shouting at him about being a war criminal. Bodyguards flank Blair. DRAMA!

He's got a point. No custard pies though, oh well

[Daggers]

Watching Tony Blair live at the Leveson Inquiry. A man just busts in and starts shouting at him about being a war criminal. Bodyguards flank Blair. DRAMA!

A Catholic responsible for the pain and suffering of thousands? I simply refuse to believe it.

[Guest]

A Catholic responsible for the pain and suffering of thousands? I simply refuse to believe it.

I think that could be alleged more with regards some of the British population than the Iraqi/Afghan wars.

[21st Century Fox]

Michael Gove currently on at the Leveson Inquiry.

Had discussions with News International about opening free schools in London.

Murdoch running education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[THEFATBASTARD]

Michael Gove currently on at the Leveson Inquiry.

Had discussions with News International about opening free schools in London.

Murdoch running education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as long as he could secretly film in the girls changing room..

[Bellend Sebastian]

Text from Rebekah Brooks to Cameron:

"I am so rooting for you tomorrow not just as a proud friend but because professionally we're definitely in this together!" wrote Brooks. "Speech of your life! Yes he Cam!"

(proper use)

[Guest MattP]

Text from Rebekah Brooks to Cameron:

"I am so rooting for you tomorrow not just as a proud friend but because professionally we're definitely in this together!" wrote Brooks. "Speech of your life! Yes he Cam!"

(proper use)

Pretty bad that was, though Cameron did well today, thought he came across extremely well at the enquiry as did many others, only one who came across as a complete tosser was Miliband.

[21st Century Fox]

Pretty bad that was, though Cameron did well today, thought he came across extremely well at the enquiry as did many others, only one who came across as a complete tosser was Miliband.

He came across pretty under-prepared and leaned on Sir Alan Alex, to get himself out of giving any constructive answers.

[Guest MattP]

He came across pretty under-prepared and leaned on Sir Alan Alex, to get himself out of giving any constructive answers.

I thought he came across fine.

Pretty good analysis now on Sky news, they all agree pretty cool calm and collected and comparing it to Gordon Browns performance who spent a couple of hours shouting across the room it was absolutely superb.

[21st Century Fox]

I thought he came across fine.

Pretty good analysis now on Sky news, they all agree pretty cool calm and collected and comparing it to Gordon Browns performance who spent a couple of hours shouting across the room it was absolutely superb.

He had to ring his wife during lunch so she could check his diary for him He didn't look calm when being questioned on Brooks and had a pretty major memory lapse when asked about the pro-NewCorp memo from Jeremy Hunt.

[breadandcheese]

I think the Leveson enquiry shows how bad our prime ministers were/are:

- John Major complaining about how the Sun said it couldn't support him in 1997 because of his views and plans for Europe, suggesting it was trying to get him to change policy. Is that not how it is supposed to work? A free press deciding their own views, making them clear. A politician with the courage of his convictions, who leads because he believes in his approach, rather than bending to the will of a newspaper editor.

- Tony Blair. Enough has breath has been wasted on him.

- Gordon Brown, who potentially perjured himself by saying that his advisors "to his knowledge" never briefed the press in an attempt to unseat Blair and never operated like that. Miliband, who was working in Brown's government contradicted this by saying that he brought it to the former Prime Minister's attention at the time.

- David Cameron. The man who flip-flops based on opinion polls. He is Blair mark 2.

It is all very sad and remarkable that our prime ministers come across as people who considered the editor of the Sun Newspaper as an advisor. Seriously, do they not have an idea of what they're trying to achieve or a vision of what they're trying to do. Say what you like about those politicians on the left or right (be it Thatcher or the likes of Tony Benn) but at least they came in to politics to change things and presented a vision to the country for them to decide, rather than today's parties.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Pretty bad that was, though Cameron did well today, thought he came across extremely well at the enquiry as did many others, only one who came across as a complete tosser was Miliband.

Did you think he was really any worse than any of the other ultra rehearsed, stage managed guff that most of the current front benchers have come out with?

The contrast between the likes of Cameron, Blair, Miliband and that weird vampire thing that is apparently the culture secretary with John Major who was about the only big name I've seen who gave the impression of just turning up and answering the questions asked of him without practising it all first couldn't be starker. Obviously it's easier for him as there's no political capital at stake for him and he's not potentially in the shit about it all, but it did underline for me what a shower we have on both sides of the house at the moment.

The criteria for judging performances at the Leveson enquiry seems to be whether or not the participants dig themselves into a deeper hole or allow their reputation to be undermined further. Very few are coming over as entirely candid or even vaguely natural, but you could argue that most of them rarely do anyway.

Brooks was best though, only in that you expect her to start leaking acid or setting Robert Jay on fire with her mind. She's so weirdly intense and so determined not to show even a nano-second of self doubt I honestly don't think she's quite right

[Bellend Sebastian]

I think the Leveson enquiry shows how bad our prime ministers were/are:

- John Major complaining about how the Sun said it couldn't support him in 1997 because of his views and plans for Europe, suggesting it was trying to get him to change policy. Is that not how it is supposed to work? A free press deciding their own views, making them clear. A politician with the courage of his convictions, who leads because he believes in his approach, rather than bending to the will of a newspaper editor.

- Tony Blair. Enough has breath has been wasted on him.

- Gordon Brown, who potentially perjured himself by saying that his advisors "to his knowledge" never briefed the press in an attempt to unseat Blair and never operated like that. Miliband, who was working in Brown's government contradicted this by saying that he brought it to the former Prime Minister's attention at the time.

- David Cameron. The man who flip-flops based on opinion polls. He is Blair mark 2.

It is all very sad and remarkable that our prime ministers come across as people who considered the editor of the Sun Newspaper as an advisor. Seriously, do they not have an idea of what they're trying to achieve or a vision of what they're trying to do. Say what you like about those politicians on the left or right (be it Thatcher or the likes of Tony Benn) but at least they came in to politics to change things and presented a vision to the country for them to decide, rather than today's parties.

Hadn't actually read your post when I finished mine but eerily similar sentiments in some ways

[Guest MattP]

He had to ring his wife during lunch so she could check his diary for him He didn't look calm when being questioned on Brooks and had a pretty major memory lapse when asked about the pro-NewCorp memo from Jeremy Hunt.

Did you think he was really any worse than any of the other ultra rehearsed, stage managed guff that most of the current front benchers have come out with?

The contrast between the likes of Cameron, Blair, Miliband and that weird vampire thing that is apparently the culture secretary with John Major who was about the only big name I've seen who gave the impression of just turning up and answering the questions asked of him without practising it all first couldn't be starker. Obviously it's easier for him as there's no political capital at stake for him and he's not potentially in the shit about it all, but it did underline for me what a shower we have on both sides of the house at the moment.

The criteria for judging performances at the Leveson enquiry seems to be whether or not the participants dig themselves into a deeper hole or allow their reputation to be undermined further. Very few are coming over as entirely candid or even vaguely natural, but you could argue that most of them rarely do anyway.

Brooks was best though, only in that you expect her to start leaking acid or setting Robert Jay on fire with her mind. She's so weirdly intense and so determined not to show even a nano-second of self doubt I honestly don't think she's quite right

Don't really see a problem with checking a diary? Can you remember ever single personal and business meeting you have made to perfection over the last 3-4 years? Of course not.

I completely agree we have a shower of shit on both sides but that's unfortunately what we get now with X Factor politics of image being above actual substance, it finished with Major and started with Blair, I don't think it will ever be the same again. The really good politicians in the Tories like Portillo, Rees-Mogg, Hague and Clarke just wouldnt win the widespread support of the country nowadays so you need to put a fairly good looking smooth young guy at the front. It's quite tragic to be honest and I don't think we'll ever see real politicians like Major and Smith going at it across the despatch box ever again now.

Brooks is the one who will take the fall for 90% of this. I dread to think what new laws and restrictions on the press will come out after the enquiry.

Hadn't actually read your post when I finished mine but eerily similar sentiments in some ways

Same here

[21st Century Fox]

Don't really see a problem with checking a diary? Can you remember ever single personal and business meeting you have made to perfection over the last 3-4 years? Of course not.

Anyone with half a brain could predict the line of questioning he was going to receive, considering he would have access to the evidence before hand and adequately prepare for it. Unless they were deliberate memory lapses of course.

[Guest MattP]

Anyone with half a brain could predict the line of questioning he was going to receive, considering he would have access to the evidence before hand and adequately prepare for it. Unless they were deliberate memory lapses of course.

He spent two days (according to the Telegraph) doing mock trials at his home.

Clearly whoever was doing the preperation didn't do their job. The idea of the enquiry was that some questions would be asked that put people on the spot without having a pre-prepared answer, it's good this has been the case.

[21st Century Fox]

He spent two days (according to the Telegraph) doing mock trials at his home.

Clearly whoever was doing the preperation didn't do their job. The idea of the enquiry was that some questions would be asked that put people on the spot without having a pre-prepared answer, it's good this has been the case.

It would be good if any of those questions had been answered by anyone but it's pretty much been dominated by the convenient, blanket "I don't recall" response.

[Guest MattP]

It would be good if any of those questions had been answered by anyone but it's pretty much been dominated by the convenient, blanket "I don't recall" response.

That's just simply not the case though is it???

Today we have learnt...(sorry I've had to copy and paste from the Grauniad)

• Self-regulation 'not working'; statutory intervention worrying

• 'I can't recall reading Hunt memo supporting BSkyB bid'

• Cannot recall asking Coulson for assurances after NYT story

• Says Coulson was 'clearly a controversial appointment'

• 'No independent verificiation of Coulson's assurances'

• Brooks text to Cameron: professionally we're in this together

• 'No overt or covert deal with newspapers'

• 'Inquiry is a cathartic moment for press and politicians'

• 'Politicans and the press have grown 'too close'

• 'I don't think the regulatory system … works'

Cameron and Brooks were good friends by 2008.

• The inquiry ordered News International to release a fresh batch of texts between Brooks and Cameron.

• Cameron confirmed he received no independent verification of Andy Coulson's assurances over phone hacking, aside from what was in public domain, and could not recall asking him about it following the New York Times article in September 2010.

• Cameron confirmed there no independent verification of Andy Coulson's assurances over phone hacking, aside from what was in public domain.

• Cameron said he would have sacked Coulson if given evidence of knowledge of phone hacking.

• Cameron denied a "covert or overt" deal with Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

• The appointment of Jeremy Hunt to the BSkyB bid was "not some rushed, botched political decision".

• Cameron was satisfied with Hunt appointment as it was cleared by two permanent secretaries and a government lawyer.

• The row over developed vetting of Coulson is a "red herring", Cameron claimed.

• Self-regulation of the press is "not working", said Cameron, but he warned against statutory intervention.

• Cameron met Rebekah Brooks 19 times, James Murdoch 15 times and Rupert Murdoch 10 times while in opposition, the inquiry heard.

• The inquiry is a "cathartic moment" for press and politicians, Cameron said.

• Cameron listed journalists who were close friends, including the Times's Daniel Finkelstein and Sarah Vine, the wife of education secretary Michael Gove.

2 questions basically he "couldnt recall"

[21st Century Fox]

I meant throughout the entire inquiry so far.

Those were two pretty important, potentially damning points though and how many of the questions answered had prepared answers?