So... is it make or break for Coulson ?

Just in case the news escaped you,  Coulson's file was handed to the Crown Prosecution Service this week following his recent interview with the Police. And now it's all gone quiet...  I suppose we're in the state of waiting to see what the CPS decides...  But are there any clues as to exactly what's going to result from this ?  We know that Andy Coulson was interviewed, though we understand not under caution.  Around the same time, Sky News led the news about Coulson's Police interview..  and that was rather a shock in itself !  If anything, I think we can agree that Sky has very much ignored the Coulson story.
However, Ofcom had just begun to examine News International's bid for BSkyB - basically Murdoch's plan to increase his empire further !  Therefore, some of us considered it was probably a move for Sky to appear neutral in it's news reporting and at one point during the day Sky was reporting on Andy Coulson every 15 minutes !  This seemed utterly bizarre to those of us who'd been following this escapade since it's re-emergence earlier this year. 

Later this week, however, to add speculation to the earlier furore, a Judge insisted that Mulcaire should divulge who'd sent out the request that phone-hacking take place at the News of the World...   Andy Coulson has consistently denied any knowledge of phone-hacking at this newspaper let alone sending out the order !
But who knows ?  Maybe it won't be too long before we know...  after all, it's now only a matter of time...  I reckon it's make or break for Coulson any time soon !

Latest Articles on Coulson/Murdoch etc.... 

most recent first :

The Guardian  Alan Rusbridger warns of 'chilling effect' of News Corp's bid for BSkyB gu.com/p/2y84a/tw   19 Nov
New Statesman  Judge orders Mulcaire to name journalists...  http://url4t.com/anH  18 Nov
The Guardian  Court says News of the World staff who ordered phone hack must be named http://gu.com/p/2y75c/tf
CPBF  New Radio Free Press podcast on Murdoch takeover bid for Sky http://www.cpbf.org.uk/
The Indy  Labour to target Tories over Coulson http://ind.pn/96Kno4
Blogminster  'Paul McMullan claims 13 former News International journalists have confirmed they hacked phones or transcribed... http://blogm.in/88nkG'
The Guardian  Harriet Harman adds to pressure over No 10 media chief Andy Coulson http://gu.com/p/2yv4j/tf 
The Indy  Coulson 'has thrown his former staff to the wolves' http://ind.pn/cDyTY9
The Guardian  Coulson interviewed by Police  http://url4t.com/FAL
BBC  Cameron under fire as Coulson interviewed  http://url4t.com/oa4  video
BBC  Chris Bryant calls for Coulson to quit   http://bbc.in/bQbnFe    6 Nov

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So what's it all about...

... and what's going on exactly ? Sky News' lead story on Saturday was Coulson answering questions in Parliament...  and the issue of Clive Goodman, the Royal Editor from News of the World, being sent to prison... also the jailing of Mulcaire, a private investigator who is thought to have done the actual deed of hacking...  the hacking of celebrities' phones, including those of the two Princes William and Harry, Boris Johnson, Tessa Jowell... plus John Prescott who has since called for a judicial review involving the police and a re-opening of the investigation. Tom Watson has asked for an assurance from the PM about the case, Downing St has issued a statement...  A former journalist arguing that Andy Coulson did know about phonehacking. Crikey !

Andy Coulson told a committee of MPs that he had no idea what was going on at the newspaper he was editing. He was the editor from 2003-07. Shortly after Goodman was jailed Coulson was hired by David Cameron to be his senior press and PR officer. If he didn't know what was going on at News of the World, he wasn't a very good editor was he... so why did David Cameron hire him ?  But he did and from May 2010 he became very important to the new Government.  We know the rest..  But all this reported on Sky News !  Why ?

What has become particularly fascinating today is that Sky News  hasn't only led on the story, the story grew longer as the day and evening has gone on !  Why ?

Now that the issue of BSkyB has been referred to Ofcom, have the gloves been taken off with no holes barred ?   Or is it a matter that Ofcom will be looking at Sky and deciding whether it's reportage is fair ?  The growth of Murdoch's empire can't have escaped Ofcom's notice - unless they live in a bubble - even the EU is asking questions about the Murdoch empire...

This evening Iain Dale, the Tory blogger, stated on the Sky Press Review that it is known that all newspapers hack phones !  Do they ? Really ?  Is that an acceptance of the allegation against Andy Coulson then ?  But hang on a moment...  Isn't phone-hacking illegal ? Isn't that what all the fuss is about ?  Have we become so blazé that the law just doesn't matter any more - that there are rules for some and that different rules apply to others who are connected in certain important circles ?  Is this what this story touches on ?  Shouldn't the PM be so appalled at these serious allegations that he suspends Andy Coulson until the issue is cleared up ?  Shouldn't he be appalled that the lives of the members of the Royal Family have been tampered with?  Is the lack of concern more revealing than we realise ? 

Is big business, party funding,  connections in the right circles, (or perhaps the wrong circles ?!),  favours asked and received more important than our liberty, than our rights and privacy as human beings than the tawdry and shoddy goings on within  newspapers  ?  It seems so !  A former editor of another newspaper has talked about this case as though it should be of no concern to the public, that it's nothing unusual, this is what happens, everyone knows - another suggestion that this act of phone-hacking is the norm.  And actually, the one question that seems to have never been asked is 'Why was phone-hacking taking place?'  I think we know the answer, but it's interesting that the question has never been asked...  to my knowledge anyway !  But correct me if I'm wrong ! Yes this is the sort of society we now live in... where the application of the law seems to be overlooked if it gets in the way... well, for some anyway... or so it appears from where I sit ! But it appears to depend on who you are and who your friends are...  there seems to be the ability to protect some who appear to be breaking the law !

When this story broke weeks ago, I suggested that this could possibly open up a huge can of worms. It seems to have been opend.. but I wonder how deep it will be..

Articles/videos from 18th October on Coulson/Murdoch

The Guardian  MPs challenge Cameron over News Corp Meetings http://bit.ly/cPZHBU
LeftFootForward Blog  Payback? Osborne's raid on the BBC gives Murdochs exactly what they wanted  http://bit.ly/9csrah  18Oct
BBC  Murdoch urges Cameron to 'stay the course' on cuts http://url4t.com/EJG
BBC  Why the Murdochs are furious...   http://tiny.cc/j4vac
The Indy  Sky profit puts pressure on Murdoch to raise bid  http://ind.pn/cMlKy9
The Guardian Conrad Black offers his views on Murdoch.. gu.com/p/2kgq6/tw
FT  Why News Corp bid must be blocked..   http://bit.ly/d3tuCs
FT  as Tom Watson states..  you couldn't make it up  http://bit.ly/9kFP8m  25Oct
Tom Watson blog  Coulson boycotts News of the World http://bit.ly/auOuNn 28Oct
Media Briefing  Murdoch's papers keep quiet about his visit to No 10 http://bit.ly/9T6Xnx
London Eve Standard  News International must be worried about 'i' http://bit.ly/a8hC84
The Guardian  Govt accused over details of meetings with News Corp  http://gu.com/p/2kmjv/tf  
The Guardian  Murdoch's paywall  http://url4t.com/86  31Oct
The Telegraph  Europe to probe New Corp rights deal   http://url4t.com/wLq
ABC Radio National  Why is James Murdoch so angry ? http://url4t.com/Xqu Listen!
The Indy  Murdoch's war with the BBC escalates   http://ind.pn/czr0cU  1 Nov
The Indy  The BSkyB bid looks 'sure to go though'   http://ind.pn/ck1NEw  2 Nov
The Atlantic  What Politics and Cricket have in common  http://url4t.com/KoD
The Guardian  The Murdochs encouraged by 50,000 digital subscribers to Times/SundayTimes  http://url4t.com/KVO
First Post  Robbie Williams gives up his phone due to fears.. NoW http://url4t.com/Wbp
The Guardian  Vince Cable set to refer News Corp's BSky bid to regulator http://gu.com/p/2kp9e/tf   4 Nov
38 degrees asks over 600 MPs to stand up to Murdoch http://url4t.com/RRY

Articles on Coulson/Murdoch 6 November 

The Guardian  Andy Coulson interviewed by police http://gu.com/p/2yvvz/tf
BBC  Cameron under fire as Coulson interviewed by police - Harriet Harman questions Cameron's judgement  http://url4t.com/oa4
New Statesman  The Coulson saga rumbles on   http://url4t.com/IX
The Indy  Coulson 'has thrown his former staff to the wolves' http://url4t.com/a8-
Sky News  Video of report on Coulson/NoW phone hacking  http://url4t.com/985 watch!

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