Phone hacking scandal deepens

[Jan Klimkowski]

The piece below is almost certainly the result of a New Labour leak in the run-up to the British general election.

Murdoch tabloid hack and phone hacker Andy Coulson is currently the Tory Party's Propaganda Chief and dirty tricks maestro, their Alastair Campbell.

I therefore note that the leak is limited primarily to football agents, rather than the numerous political figures Murdoch's hired private eyes are alleged to have hacked.

However, as previous posts in this thread show, the eavesdropping, leverage and blackmail potential appears to have been extensive.

New claims of phone hacking put pressure on Andy Coulson

Tory media chief in spotlight as football agent begins action against private investigators working for News of the World

The Tories' chief spin doctor, Andy Coulson, faces more awkward questions about a phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World during his time as editor. The Observer understands that a leading football agent has launched a legal action alleging that his phone was hacked by private investigators working with the newspaper's journalists while Coulson was in charge.

More than 10 MPs and at least one former football star, ex-England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, are also in discussions with lawyers looking to bring similar cases against the newspaper's owner, News Group Newspapers (NGN), part of Rupert Murdoch's empire. The pending legal action will severely embarrass Coulson who, as director of communications and planning for the Conservative party, will wield significant influence if it comes to power after the election.

Sky Andrew, who represents Arsenal defender Sol Campbell and has acted on behalf of former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant and Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, issued proceedings last week. Andrew's move comes just weeks after the newspaper agreed to pay more than £1m to PR agent Max Clifford, who dropped an action in which he alleged that his voicemail messages had been intercepted.

A similar case involving Gordon Taylor, the former chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, was settled out of court in 2008 with a £700,000 payout.

Labour has been quick to use Coulson's past to embarrass David Cameron. Last week Lord Mandelson, Labour's election strategist, blamed Coulson for a "dirty tricks" campaign waged in some newspapers against the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg.

"This is pure Andy Coulson-style News of the World territory turned into political form," Mandelson said. "It is cheap and rather squalid. If a Tory campaign is subcontracted to someone like Andy Coulson, it is no surprise that things like this are going to appear on the front pages of our newspapers."

Andrew's decision to launch a legal action means the phone-hacking allegations will continue to dog Coulson after the election, storing up headaches for Cameron, who has defended his spin doctor, saying: "I believe in giving people a second chance."

Gascoigne's solicitor, Gerald Shamash, confirmed that he was in correspondence with NGN on behalf of his client. "I am advising him in relation to a potential claim," he said. The Observer also understands that three law firms are in discussion with at least 14 MPs, including several cabinet ministers, with a view to taking legal action.

Victims whose phones were hacked by private investigators reportedly include Prince William, Prince Harry, model Elle Macpherson, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, London mayor Boris Johnson, MP George Galloway and a former executive director of the Football Association, David Davies.

Andrew's claim is believed to be almost identical to the one made by Clifford. This raises the possibility that if the case goes to court, potentially explosive evidence similar to that which was never disclosed following the settlement of Clifford's action will be made public. Clifford said he knew others were looking at taking legal action against the paper. "When someone had to fight, there were a lot of people who wanted to get on board but didn't have the balls to stand up and be counted. I've heard all kinds of names."

Coulson has denied knowing that phone hacking went on under his watch and has blamed one "rogue reporter". In January 2007, Clive Goodman, the News of the World's royal reporter, was sentenced to four months in jail for hacking into the phones of members of the royal family. A private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, was sentenced to six months for hacking into the phones of several royal family members and a number of celebrities and sports stars.

Coulson, who resigned within hours of the verdicts being handed down, told parliament's culture, media and sport select committee last year that during his time running the paper he had "neither condoned the use of phone hacking nor do I have any recollection of instances when phone hacking took place".

However, Coulson's critics have questioned whether his position is tenable if the Tories come to power. During the select committee hearing, Labour MP Paul Farrelly told Coulson: "If the leader of the Conservative party becomes prime minister you will have to deal with spokesmen at the Palace, for example. Do you think it is sustainable to have a relationship with the Palace when you were the editor while journalists on your watch hacked into the phones of the private and personal secretaries to the princes and future king of England?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr...-bug-claim