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| Phone hacking: key claims from Tom Watson's book - live | Phone hacking: key claims from Tom Watson's book - live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 1.59pm: Dan Sabbagh and I have sped read the book now. Here's a quick review before we close the blog. | 1.59pm: Dan Sabbagh and I have sped read the book now. Here's a quick review before we close the blog. |
| Dial M for Murdoch will be a must-read for anyone interested in Rupert Murdoch and the phone-hacking scandal. Its publication and its deliberately provocative title will certainly increase the temperature ahead of Murdoch's appearance at the Leveson inquiry next week. | |
| Much of the information in the book is already in the public domain and it is difficult to see how some of the incendiary claims such as the one that Rebekah Brooks's office was bugged is going to stick without corroboration. | Much of the information in the book is already in the public domain and it is difficult to see how some of the incendiary claims such as the one that Rebekah Brooks's office was bugged is going to stick without corroboration. |
| For this reason, there are no real bombshells that will cause Murdoch sleepless nights. | For this reason, there are no real bombshells that will cause Murdoch sleepless nights. |
| But it's a lively read and offers a fast-paced, tight narrative that will help anyone bluff their way through the rather complicated events of the past six or seven years. | But it's a lively read and offers a fast-paced, tight narrative that will help anyone bluff their way through the rather complicated events of the past six or seven years. |
| 1.57pm: The last edition of the News of the World is discussed in chapter 16, "Sky Plus". Two Sun executives were given the job of checking the paper before it went to press for any parting shots inserted by journalists. | 1.57pm: The last edition of the News of the World is discussed in chapter 16, "Sky Plus". Two Sun executives were given the job of checking the paper before it went to press for any parting shots inserted by journalists. |
| They did a good job of checking the news stories, but less so with the crosswords, whose clues included: brook, stink, catastrophe, pest, less bright, woman stares wildly at calamity, criminal enterprise, string of recordings, and mix in prison. Answers included disaster, stench, racket and tart. The answers to 1 across, 4 down, 10 across and 7 down were Tomorrow, We, Are, Sacked. | They did a good job of checking the news stories, but less so with the crosswords, whose clues included: brook, stink, catastrophe, pest, less bright, woman stares wildly at calamity, criminal enterprise, string of recordings, and mix in prison. Answers included disaster, stench, racket and tart. The answers to 1 across, 4 down, 10 across and 7 down were Tomorrow, We, Are, Sacked. |
| 1.55pm: Chapter 19 of the book gives a detailed account of social meetings between the office of the director of public prosecutions and News International. | 1.55pm: Chapter 19 of the book gives a detailed account of social meetings between the office of the director of public prosecutions and News International. |
| Students of this sub-specialism will remember talk of Ken Macdonald, the former DPP, enjoying a night out with Rebekah Wade and Andy Coulson at a Society of Editors conference in Bowness in the Lake District in October 2005. The police started investigating allegations that the News of the World's royal editor was hacking phones. | Students of this sub-specialism will remember talk of Ken Macdonald, the former DPP, enjoying a night out with Rebekah Wade and Andy Coulson at a Society of Editors conference in Bowness in the Lake District in October 2005. The police started investigating allegations that the News of the World's royal editor was hacking phones. |
| Through a freedom of information request, Watson has found: | Through a freedom of information request, Watson has found: |
| • Macdonald was in Bowness as a guest of Les Hinton, News International's former chief executive. | • Macdonald was in Bowness as a guest of Les Hinton, News International's former chief executive. |
| • Macdonald dined with the News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, at Gordon Ramsay's Maze in January 2006, a month after Operation Caryatid (the investigation into Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire) began. | • Macdonald dined with the News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, at Gordon Ramsay's Maze in January 2006, a month after Operation Caryatid (the investigation into Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire) began. |
| • On 10 April 2006 Macdonald lunched with Rebekah Wade and the Sun's political editor, Trevor Kavanagh. | • On 10 April 2006 Macdonald lunched with Rebekah Wade and the Sun's political editor, Trevor Kavanagh. |
| On 20 February 2007, a month after Goodman and Mulcaire were jailed, Macdonald against lunched with Wade. | On 20 February 2007, a month after Goodman and Mulcaire were jailed, Macdonald against lunched with Wade. |
| Watson notes "there was no evidence that Macdonald acted improperly during his meetings with News International". | Watson notes "there was no evidence that Macdonald acted improperly during his meetings with News International". |
| 12.52pm: News International says it has no comment on Watson's allegations about intermediaries or surveillance. | 12.52pm: News International says it has no comment on Watson's allegations about intermediaries or surveillance. |
| 12.50pm: One of the most extraordinary claims that Watson makes is that he was offered a deal if the committee didn't touch Rebekah Brooks. | 12.50pm: One of the most extraordinary claims that Watson makes is that he was offered a deal if the committee didn't touch Rebekah Brooks. |
| "Two intermediaries close to News International offered a deal. One told Watson the company would 'give him' Andy Coulson, but Rebekah Brooks was 'sacred'," says the book. | "Two intermediaries close to News International offered a deal. One told Watson the company would 'give him' Andy Coulson, but Rebekah Brooks was 'sacred'," says the book. |
| 12.32pm: Watson on the alleged surveillance of Rebekah Brooks's office in June 2011: | 12.32pm: Watson on the alleged surveillance of Rebekah Brooks's office in June 2011: |
| Increasingly, Brooks's position was being questioned by those inside as well as outside the company. In June according to one well-placed News Corp source, security staff were ordered to record the times of Brooks's entry to and exit from Thomas More Square [News International's headquarters] and cleaners were warned to avoid disturbing listening devices placed under the table and by her computer in her office. | Increasingly, Brooks's position was being questioned by those inside as well as outside the company. In June according to one well-placed News Corp source, security staff were ordered to record the times of Brooks's entry to and exit from Thomas More Square [News International's headquarters] and cleaners were warned to avoid disturbing listening devices placed under the table and by her computer in her office. |
| Cleaners told not to disturb listening devices? Not very plausible. | Cleaners told not to disturb listening devices? Not very plausible. |
| 12.31pm: Tommy Sheridan, the former MP, wrote to Watson from prison urging him to carry on with the investigation into News International. | 12.31pm: Tommy Sheridan, the former MP, wrote to Watson from prison urging him to carry on with the investigation into News International. |
| Sheridan was involved in a high-profile defamation action against the News of the World in 2006 after it published a story claiming he was an adulterer who visited a swingers' club. He was jailed last year for perjuring himself in that trial, but was released in January after serving 12 months of his three-year sentence. | Sheridan was involved in a high-profile defamation action against the News of the World in 2006 after it published a story claiming he was an adulterer who visited a swingers' club. He was jailed last year for perjuring himself in that trial, but was released in January after serving 12 months of his three-year sentence. |
| "Murdoch must not be allowed to assume the role of Pontius Pilate in the whole sorry affair," wrote Sheridan. | "Murdoch must not be allowed to assume the role of Pontius Pilate in the whole sorry affair," wrote Sheridan. |
| 12.30pm: Watson says an News International "intermediary", who was female, asked him if he would like to meet Rupert Murdoch over a dinner meeting. | 12.30pm: Watson says an News International "intermediary", who was female, asked him if he would like to meet Rupert Murdoch over a dinner meeting. |
| She allegedly told him: "He's a charismatic man. He'd want to square off these difficulties and put matters right." | She allegedly told him: "He's a charismatic man. He'd want to square off these difficulties and put matters right." |
| Watson says he was not interested in cutting a deal. | Watson says he was not interested in cutting a deal. |
| 12.28pm: Watson on the intimidation of the select committee. | 12.28pm: Watson on the intimidation of the select committee. |
| Although the committee wanted Brooks to give evidence, its members, whose private lives News International had pored over, capitulated and decided not to summons her… | Although the committee wanted Brooks to give evidence, its members, whose private lives News International had pored over, capitulated and decided not to summons her… |
| The gay Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price … claimed that the committee's members had been warned that if they had called Brooks, their private lives would be raked over. | The gay Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price … claimed that the committee's members had been warned that if they had called Brooks, their private lives would be raked over. |
| He said later: "I was told by a senior Conservative member of the committee, who I knew was in direct contact with executives at News International, that if we went for her, they would go for us - effectively they would delve into our personal lives in order to punish [us]. | He said later: "I was told by a senior Conservative member of the committee, who I knew was in direct contact with executives at News International, that if we went for her, they would go for us - effectively they would delve into our personal lives in order to punish [us]. |
| 12.19pm: Kevin Maguire, political supremo at the Daily Mirror, has tweeted this: | 12.19pm: Kevin Maguire, political supremo at the Daily Mirror, has tweeted this: |
| Political corruption & intimidation emerging at presser as strongest line in @tom_watson's Dial M for Murdoch. But I've not read book | Political corruption & intimidation emerging at presser as strongest line in @tom_watson's Dial M for Murdoch. But I've not read book |
| — Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) April 19, 2012 | — Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) April 19, 2012 |
| 11.54am: Watson adds: | 11.54am: Watson adds: |
| I am sorry to say that this tactic was successful, the committee's legitimate investigation was undermined and parliament was, in effect, intimidated. News International thought it could do this, that they would get away with it, that no one could touch them, and they actually did it, and it worked. | I am sorry to say that this tactic was successful, the committee's legitimate investigation was undermined and parliament was, in effect, intimidated. News International thought it could do this, that they would get away with it, that no one could touch them, and they actually did it, and it worked. |
| Watson adds that as a result of the surveillance the committee members whose private lives had been under investigation decided not to summon Rebekah Brooks to give evidence in 2010. | Watson adds that as a result of the surveillance the committee members whose private lives had been under investigation decided not to summon Rebekah Brooks to give evidence in 2010. |
| 11.53am: Watson claims that the members of the Commons select committee investigating News International were put under surveillance by a crack squad of News of the World reporters. | 11.53am: Watson claims that the members of the Commons select committee investigating News International were put under surveillance by a crack squad of News of the World reporters. |
| Watson says he was told this by the paper's former chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck. | Watson says he was told this by the paper's former chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck. |
| In Thurlbeck's words: | In Thurlbeck's words: |
| There was an edict that came down from the editor and it was 'find out every single thing you can about every single member; who was gay, who had affairs, anything we can use. Each reporter was given two members and there were six reporters. | There was an edict that came down from the editor and it was 'find out every single thing you can about every single member; who was gay, who had affairs, anything we can use. Each reporter was given two members and there were six reporters. |
| 11.42am: Watson launched the book at a press conference in Westminster this morning, branding Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation a "toxic institution that has operated in Britain like a shadow state". | 11.42am: Watson launched the book at a press conference in Westminster this morning, branding Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation a "toxic institution that has operated in Britain like a shadow state". |
| Murdoch, he says "has exerted a malign and corrupting influence on Britain's public institutions, not only hacking phones and computers, but blagging and impersonating, blackmailing and bullying". | Murdoch, he says "has exerted a malign and corrupting influence on Britain's public institutions, not only hacking phones and computers, but blagging and impersonating, blackmailing and bullying". |
| 11.32am: Labour MP's Tom Watson's book on Rupert Murdoch makes some sensational allegations including claims that Rebekah Brooks's office was bugged while she was still chief executive of News International. | 11.32am: Labour MP's Tom Watson's book on Rupert Murdoch makes some sensational allegations including claims that Rebekah Brooks's office was bugged while she was still chief executive of News International. |
| We've got a preview copy of the book and are going through it for the best bits. | We've got a preview copy of the book and are going through it for the best bits. |
| We'll also be bringing you reaction. | We'll also be bringing you reaction. |
| Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. | Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. |