Murdoch Is Served (20)

And still Phonehackgate refuses to go away. Despite the constant moaning sound coming from the right and libertarian part of the blogosphere, the issue is if anything gaining momentum. Those who, for whatever reason, try and characterise it as a minor party political spat now have to face the unwelcome fact that the Government has today agreed that this is a matter for Parliament.

And that agreement came from Sir George Young, leader of the Commons, today. The matter will be referred to the Standards and Privileges Committee. There have been calls for Rupe himself to give evidence – might be a big ask, that one – and also his Representative On Earth in the UK, Rebekah Brooks (née Wade), who managed to bodyswerve the last enquiry, from which Rupe’s troops emerged with little credit.

Young Dave is understandably otherwise engaged right now – his father died yesterday, after suffering a severe stroke while on holiday in the south of France – and so his chief spinmeister Andy Coulson will not be going anywhere in the next day or two. But his future is looking increasingly precarious, despite all the efforts to shout down the story.

And that is because, as I noted earlier, this is all about one thing that does not know party political boundaries, and that is straightforward criminality. Trying to blame this affair on the Beeb, the Guardian, the NYT and the Labour Party is as pointless as it is feeble, and totally misses the point.