Predictions - Coulson will "resign" within days (Cameron has been far too supportive; always a sign of the end by politicians)... Wade will go (bye bye Flame Mitchell)... those of us in the media have known all about phone hacking for decades and behaved accordingly. We also all knew the Editors knew (Kelvin - where's your comments?)...

Remember the Photoshopping of that photo of me in the Park in the News of the World? Denied by the Liars of the World; rejected by the toothless Press Complaints Commission (chairman then Les Hinton of - News International)...

Pandora's Fucking Box on the meeeejah and about time too.

It is deliciously serious and definitely terminal for many individuals and organisations.

Parliament are loving it, of course, and Chris Huhne is having a fabulous time slagging off Coulson and Cameron (who may himself be brought down due to his judgmental mistake hiring Andy).

If they did not charge anyone in 2006 it shows that there was not enough evidence against any single journalist in this case.

This means that the whole thing is a meaningless exercise.

Andy Ex Editor is totally safe because if I remember rightly he was totally off the hook in the original case and he resigned because he took "job" reponsibility for not knowing about what individual journos were doing.

News of the World has acted like the Police - who tap the phones of tens of thousands of people - most of them illegally. We have to face the reality that we now live in a Police state.

I would suggest to any celebrity or politician that they never discuss any personal or important business on the phone - or even in rooms which have not been swept for bugs.

We live in a dangerous state - and this current "Hoo Ha" will die down and go away because it is a distraction from the real issues out there.

News of the World is a sorry excuse for a newspaper and "Gutter Press" is probably too good a description for the way in which they source their "stories" which lack any credibility.

If politicians of any stripe do not seize the moment they really are a bunch of useless clods.

It's one thing to be wary of genuine investigate journalists who may uncover real corruption within the government but Blair and the vile Alastair Campbell became beholden to tabloid headlines and their successors are no better.

They used them to their advantage but at the same time became captives of down market tabloids.

Now is the time to break free from the influence of unelected media barons.

They won't of course. So many will choose to go with the ship.

It's actually very exciting !

I believe there was probably plenty of evidence to charge many but it was far easier not to.

There has been an unholy alliance between authority and the media.

That's about to disappear. The jailing of just 2 over the tapping of phones was a farce.

And the subsequent contracts they were signed to to seal their silence just adds to the conspiracy. It's all about to unravel.

Andrew Neil can be wrong on some things. On this one he is spot on.

I don't think anyone realises how big this is going to be and it highlights what happened to me when three giants - police, media and judiciary - all got together.

I hope this has major repercussions for the tabloid press and anyone involved.

JK you are right it is big and it should lead to most of the people involved sitting in a cell for at least a few months.

The way I see it going is this - same as the Cash for Honours.

The MET POLICE will do a deal with NEW LABOUR and the NEW INTERNATIONAL press as follows :

We will let you off the hook as a paper and individuals IF you support us in the 2010 election.

I cant see any reason for bringing this up now apart from that - can you ? what is the motive for New Labour to suddenly dig up this case ? why didnt they do this when it broke last time if they knew this ?

That is why I would say that NOTHING will happen to News International - and I know many on here would love them to get stuffed by this - but this looks to be a political "play" rather than a real attempt to gain any justice.

Cameron's press advisor is not worth this either - he is replaceable easily. This is about "support" at the next election. The start of battle lines being drawn.

New Labour has a strategy to strangle any paper or person in the next 10 months who might not support them - even if that means going down this route. At the moment there are many people of all other parties being arrested ( look at the comments section in the Telegraph story ) and being basically "shut up" as the election approaches.

I am certainly expecting them to "arrest" or "Hassle" me at some point as the election comes up. They did that before the London Mayor election because I had told New Labour in a letter I would campaign against Ken Livingstone because of my personal experiences with the Met Police......funny that !!!

We live in a Police State - this whole story is a movie to hide the real intent. Look deeper and look for motive and then you will see it does not make sense.

I admit I would love to jump on the anti Murdoch bandwagon - but look at the end results of what happens today. There will be very few - the results will take place behind closed doors and we will see the front page of the NoTW and THE SUN reflect the deal done.

no..I think you are wrong on this one BR and the anti Murdoch bandwagons are gathering pace including my little wobbly one which has new tyres but I must get the $5K they owe me before the sh*t hits the fan.

And the reason?..there is heaps of money to be had. The fact they paid off one football manager will open the floodgates.

All those other 1000's whose phones were tapped will be looking at easy money...even the ones who don't know they were targeted.

No empire lasts forever and the stars are converging for Murdoch-the portents of doom are gathering.

There is a smell of blood already in the air. Murdoch has really bungled his acquistions over the past decade. Paying through the nose and supporting huge loss making enterprises and then suddenly, the internet is biting.

Not only is readership plummeting but advertising revenue is down 22%. Other newspapers would love to be in on the kill.

His political influence has been challenged by Barak Obama and the Oz PM who are giving News Ltd' a 2 fingered salute.

Where Fox News ruled in the US a year ago it's becoming a laughing stock appealing to redneck crazies with no influence. They're being ignored.

UK politicians still tread warily but it will only take a few brave ones to lambast News Ltd and the rest will follow.

Yes I think people have forgotten the world has changed - The Guardian is leading the fray but the Internet is very open these days.

And Yates of the Yard is behaving as though it was 1999 - "we will not investigate further" won't work in 2009; too many bloggers will ask... why not? Could it be someone is taking back handers?

The reason I still disagree is this : the story was leaked as a Political story. It had a target of Cameron and his press guy as JK spotted straight away.

New Labour when they instigate this sort of dirt sadly dont see past the simplistic smear. Therefore when the smear starts to complicate ( as Yates has not played ball because he is not in their pay - and in any case he has no evidence to back their claims ) New Labour backs off and hopes that they have done enough - the mud sticks argument.

I dont doubt that Murdoch is in trouble - getting into bed with the Rothchilds always means your number is up - but I think in terms of a massive scandal this will be over by Monday unless something new is found out.

Muddying the water - exactly; and very obvious too...

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/09/pho...analysis-nick-davies

There is word in the meja circles that Murdoch will come out in support of the Tories at the next election.
Could this be the pre-emptive strike from Labour against the heart of the Murdoch machine in the UK?

Yes - I think I mentioned this somewhere else.

A pre-emptive strike is a good call. Very Blairite.

I think basically you are correct in all you say although I doubt the Guardian has done this to support Labour.

But if Brown & Co don't seize the moment they are utter fools yet Brown is tippy-toeing.

Not that I wish Labour to win-they deserve an almighty thrashing at the polls but the idea of a Cameron win isn't to exciting.

As I have detailed before in obsessive fashion-the last few weeks in Ausralia..combined with a well planned moves over the past 2 years have shown that standing up to the un-democratic and dangerous manipulations of Murdoch's empire pays off.

In 2006 the NSW state Labor government decided to side-line a right-wing and Murdoch loved shock-jock who had been weilding his considerable perceived power for about 15 years in politics.

They just ignored his request for interviews etc and amazingly, they won again in an almost unwinabble election.

It demonstrated that much of th time media personalities and organisations hold the perception of power but if challenged it's just not true.

In elections since it's been shown the public can discern between tabloid rubbish and real issues that concern them.

Obama in the USA & Rudd in Oz have sidelined Murdoch's News Corp and have discovered that far from News Corp hacks, particularly political writers who are biased, being able to cause them problems. the general public turn on the newspapers and media with a vengeance-they hate being lied to as well and treated like sheep.

But politically parties study wins and losses in other countries all the time. I'm sure there is general feeling in politics that Murdoch's power is there for the taking.

veritas wrote:

His political influence has been challenged by Barak Obama and the Oz PM who are giving News Ltd' a 2 fingered salute.

Where Fox News ruled in the US a year ago it's becoming a laughing stock appealing to redneck crazies with no influence. They're being ignored.

UK politicians still tread warily but it will only take a few brave ones to lambast News Ltd and the rest will follow.

Interesting that a news story that rates fourth on BBC website -

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8149464.stm

gets NO MENTION AT ALL on Sky News website ?

Selective News ?