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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Cameron says Coulson's job 'safe' | Cameron says Coulson's job 'safe' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has insisted Andy Coulson's job as his communications director is safe. | Conservative leader David Cameron has insisted Andy Coulson's job as his communications director is safe. |
| Senior Labour and Lib Dems figures have said he should be fired after revelations about phone messages being intercepted by the News of the World. | Senior Labour and Lib Dems figures have said he should be fired after revelations about phone messages being intercepted by the News of the World. |
| The Guardian alleges up to 3,000 high profile figures - including ex-deputy PM John Prescott - were targeted by the paper Mr Coulson edited until 2007. | The Guardian alleges up to 3,000 high profile figures - including ex-deputy PM John Prescott - were targeted by the paper Mr Coulson edited until 2007. |
| Asked if Mr Coulson's job was safe, Mr Cameron said: "Yes, of course." | Asked if Mr Coulson's job was safe, Mr Cameron said: "Yes, of course." |
| Mr Cameron sought to make a distinction between what Mr Coulson may have done in the past and what he does now for the Conservative Party. | Mr Cameron sought to make a distinction between what Mr Coulson may have done in the past and what he does now for the Conservative Party. |
| As director of communications he does an excellent job for the Conservatives, in a proper, upright way at all times David Cameron, Conservative leader | As director of communications he does an excellent job for the Conservatives, in a proper, upright way at all times David Cameron, Conservative leader |
| Speaking outside his home in West London, Mr Cameron said: "It's wrong for newspapers to breach people's privacy with no justification. | Speaking outside his home in West London, Mr Cameron said: "It's wrong for newspapers to breach people's privacy with no justification. |
| "That is why Andy Coulson resigned as editor of the News of the World two-and-a-half years ago. Of course I knew about that resignation before offering him the job. But I believe in giving people a second chance. | "That is why Andy Coulson resigned as editor of the News of the World two-and-a-half years ago. Of course I knew about that resignation before offering him the job. But I believe in giving people a second chance. |
| "As director of communications he does an excellent job for the Conservatives, in a proper, upright way at all times." | "As director of communications he does an excellent job for the Conservatives, in a proper, upright way at all times." |
| Politically motivated | Politically motivated |
| Mr Coulson, who has yet to comment on whether he knew about phone hacking at the paper, issued a statement on Wednesday saying "this story relates to an alleged payment made after I left the News of the World two and a half years ago. I have no knowledge whatsoever of any settlement with Gordon Taylor". | Mr Coulson, who has yet to comment on whether he knew about phone hacking at the paper, issued a statement on Wednesday saying "this story relates to an alleged payment made after I left the News of the World two and a half years ago. I have no knowledge whatsoever of any settlement with Gordon Taylor". |
| The Guardian revealed that the News of the World had reached an out-of-court settlement with Gordon Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers' Association, after hacking into his phone. | The Guardian revealed that the News of the World had reached an out-of-court settlement with Gordon Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers' Association, after hacking into his phone. |
| The Conservatives argue that calls by senior Labour figures such as Charles Clarke and John Prescott for Mr Coulson to be sacked were politically-motivated attempts to destabilise Mr Cameron. | The Conservatives argue that calls by senior Labour figures such as Charles Clarke and John Prescott for Mr Coulson to be sacked were politically-motivated attempts to destabilise Mr Cameron. |
| Andy Coulson was News of the World editor until 2007 | Andy Coulson was News of the World editor until 2007 |
| Mr Prescott, who has said he will contact the police over claims phone messages were intercepted by investigators hired by a News of the World reporter, said: "This really does call Cameron's judgement into question in hiring Coulson. The question Cameron must answer is 'do you back him or sack him?'" | Mr Prescott, who has said he will contact the police over claims phone messages were intercepted by investigators hired by a News of the World reporter, said: "This really does call Cameron's judgement into question in hiring Coulson. The question Cameron must answer is 'do you back him or sack him?'" |
| But pressure is growing to re-open inquiries into what went on at the News of the World. | But pressure is growing to re-open inquiries into what went on at the News of the World. |
| Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called for Mr Coulson to be sacked, comparing his case to that of Damian McBride, the Downing Street aide forced to quit over e-mail smears against senior Conservatives. | Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called for Mr Coulson to be sacked, comparing his case to that of Damian McBride, the Downing Street aide forced to quit over e-mail smears against senior Conservatives. |
| He told MPs: "It's extraordinary that the leader of the opposition, who wants to be a prime minister, employs Andy Coulson who, at best, was responsible for a newspaper that was out of control and, at worst, was personally implicated in criminal activity. | He told MPs: "It's extraordinary that the leader of the opposition, who wants to be a prime minister, employs Andy Coulson who, at best, was responsible for a newspaper that was out of control and, at worst, was personally implicated in criminal activity. |
| "The exact parallel is surely with Damian McBride. If the prime minister was right to sack Damian McBride, should the leader of the opposition not sack Andy Coulson?" | "The exact parallel is surely with Damian McBride. If the prime minister was right to sack Damian McBride, should the leader of the opposition not sack Andy Coulson?" |
| Labour MP Denis MacShane called for a Commons investigation, with evidence given on oath, and questioned why Mr Coulson still had a House of Commons pass. | |
| 'Measured response' | |
| Labour's Ann Clwyd called on Mr Coulson to be stripped of his Commons pass while the latest allegations are investigated. | |
| "Given Mr Coulson's dubious reputation, none of us on this side of the House can feel comfortable while he is allowed to wander the corridors here. Can we not, at the very least, while he is under suspicion, take his pass away from him?," she told MPs. | |
| Home Office minister David Hanson said such issues were a "matter for the House authorities". | |
| He said the government and the Metropolitan Police had only learned of the latest allegations about phone hacking at the News of the World "overnight and this morning" and they were "currently being investigated". He said he would update MPs later on what the police have decided to do. | |
| Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said - to laughter from the Labour and Lib Dem benches - that there was "no doubt that the story that appeared in this morning's newspaper raised questions". | |
| But he called for a "measured response" to the allegations and said it should be left to the police to "decide whether there is any new information that warrants further action". | |
| Investigation | Investigation |
| And Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, said they were planning to meet to discuss the issue "as a matter of urgency". | And Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, said they were planning to meet to discuss the issue "as a matter of urgency". |
| "It may well be that we decide we wish to have somebody from News International to appear before us." | "It may well be that we decide we wish to have somebody from News International to appear before us." |
| He told the BBC News Channel there was "a strong likelihood that Andy Coulson will be one of those" the committee wanted to grill depending on what the evidence seen by The Guardian contained. | He told the BBC News Channel there was "a strong likelihood that Andy Coulson will be one of those" the committee wanted to grill depending on what the evidence seen by The Guardian contained. |
| Business Secretary Lord Mandelson told BBC London it would defy belief if Mr Coulson, as the editor of the News of the World, did not know what was going on in the newspaper and the methods that were being used. | Business Secretary Lord Mandelson told BBC London it would defy belief if Mr Coulson, as the editor of the News of the World, did not know what was going on in the newspaper and the methods that were being used. |
| BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the problem Mr Cameron faces was that new questions were now being opened about the past. | BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the problem Mr Cameron faces was that new questions were now being opened about the past. |
| He said Mr Coulson had "already broken rule one for any spin doctor - 'Never become the story,' adding: "He's good enough at his job to know that this story could soon become one about David Cameron's judgement." | He said Mr Coulson had "already broken rule one for any spin doctor - 'Never become the story,' adding: "He's good enough at his job to know that this story could soon become one about David Cameron's judgement." |