Can Labour expect the support of LDs and even some Tories? Several people have asked for my view of which way the 57 Lib Dem will vote if Ed Miliband goes ahead with his plan to move a motion on News Corporation’s planned take-over of the parts of BSkyB that it doesn’t already own. The debate and vote would take place on Wednesday and so far today we’ve seen comments from Simon Hughes and Chris Huhne. My guess is that…
Meanwhile 72% of voters say Murdoch has too much influence? There is some YouGov polling this morning linked to the hacking scandal though it is not part of the News International commissioned daily poll which appears in the Sun and the Sunday Times. The questioning started by trying to assess what proportion of those sampled were following the BSkyB take-over. A total of 44% said they were following development with 56% saying not. Amongst other findings: The planned BSkyB take-over…
Would it have been different if Dave hadn’t appointed Coulson? I certainly hold by that view. It was the presence of Coulson as Cameron’s key advisor that first “gave legs” to the whole hacking story. Then that was magnified when after the election Cameron made the ex-NOTW editor the Number 10 head of communications. HAT-TIP for picture to @NickMartinTV. Mike Smithson
Will it be Ed up and Dave down? Everybody it seems at the moment is coming out with the old Harold Wilson quote about “a week being a long time in politics” and the past seven days, surely, have been almost without precedent. So how will the week’s events have impacted on the poll findings that for me are by far the best indicator of opinion – the leadership ratings? We’ll have to wait a week or so for the…
Where do the developments so far leave the key players? The phone-hacking scandal has produced a bad week for many people. Some have been arrested, some tainted by association, some have lost their job, some have had their judgement questioned. A newspaper of 168 years standing has been closed. Others no doubt wait nervously. It’s big and dramatic news – perhaps too much so. Retaining a sense of proportion at times like this is crucial and difficult, not least because…
Is the hacking scandal really Britain’s Watergate? As Twitter followers will know the Indy’s @JohnRentoul has created a whole niche on the net with his QTWTAIN – questions to which the answer is no. Every time these are brought to his attention he seems to produce disapproving tweet and I think I hold the record for being singled out. So what does he think tomorrow’s Independent front page. We await his Tweet. Mike Smithson
Could she say something at the 4pm staff meeting? Surprisingly very few bookies have been ready to put up hacking scandal markets. One that has, Victor Chandler is offering 2/5 that Rebekah Brooks will not be in her post by the month end and 7/4 that she will. Given the widely reported staff meeting at News International at 4pm I just wonder whether we could get some news this afternoon. The pressure on her must have been over-whelming. If VC…
Where Does Re-toxification Leave the PM? It must hurt for the Prime Minister. No politician wants to be out of step with the electorate or at odds with the public mood, especially when it risks turning into rage. David Cameron, the first public relations professional to lead a developed nation, will be more sensitive than most. Allegations of press phone-hacking into the voicemail of murdered children, terrorist victims and fallen servicemen and women cuts through to the public and has…