Yesterday it was Metropolitan Police commissioner Stephenson who fell on his sword. Today his second in command, assistant commissioner Paul Yates, also resigned.
Events are spinning out of control so quickly that Conservative prime minister David Cameron has cut short an African trip and ordered Parliament back to debate the News International scandal.
Speaking in South Africa, Mr. Cameron said Parliament would be extended beyond the start of its scheduled summer recess for an emergency session on Wednesday, a day after Mr. Murdoch, his son James and Ms. Brooks are set to testify to a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal.
Labour leader, Ed Miliband appears to be reversing his party's fortunes by his handling of the scandal and he pulled no punches in taking Cameron to task for his involvement:
“It is of great concern,” Mr. Miliband said in a speech, “that the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was unable to discuss vital issues with the Prime Minister because he felt that David Cameron was himself compromised on this issue because of Andy Coulson.”
He added: “It is also striking that Sir Paul Stephenson has taken responsibility and resigned over the employment of Mr. Coulson’s deputy, while the Prime Minister hasn’t even apologized for hiring Mr. Coulson.”
The Conservatives cling to power only with the support of an increasingly disaffected Liberal Democrat caucus. If they revolt, Cameron could fall.
6 comments:
Wouldn't this be a good time for the NDP to start pointing out that getting rid of the vote subsidy puts Canada in the same situation that the UK finds itself -- bought by corporate interests?
Let Cameron fall. The truth is the truth and any one remostely involved need to be hacked out of their positions.
I'd like to see Cameron resign. This merger between media and government is finally being exposed and every other nation that lacks media diversity, subject to the concentration of publishing and broadcasting in the hands of a few, should closely scrutinize the relationship between editorial boards and political parties in power.
Funny thing about the British, isn't it? I remember years ago when they were involved in the Falklands War, Lord Carrington, the British Foreign Secretary,resigned because he hadn't anticipated the conflict.
Meanwhile, in Canada, whenever something goes awry, a politician may say he or she 'accepts full responsibility,' she retains her job, and everyone moves on as if nothing happened. Or to bring it even closer to home, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, whop apparently accepts responsibility for nothing, continues in his position despite the atrocities of the police under his control during last June's G20 summit.
Lorne, you forgot the Bev Oda fiasco. That has got to be up there with the most blatantly obvious and stupid manipulation of the public service.
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