Skipper

i) there were not merely a 'handful' of phones being hacked into by NoW journalists and other employees but over 4000. As editor Coulson must have known about the widespread practice on his own newspaper. Yet he told the select committee he knew nothing about these illegal activities.

ii) that the officer in charge of the inquiry, assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, is now employed by News International, owner of NoW, as a columnist.

iii) the NoW has paid out £2m to two prominent victims of the hacking- PR agent Max Clifford and Gordon Taylor of the PFA.

iv) it has also paid out money to the jailed Goodman and private investigator Glen Mulcaire 'which are believed to require them not to speak'.

Joining up the dots the implications of Davies's findings, it seems fairly obvious that: Coulson must have known about the illegal activities of his newspaper; that he told porkies to the select committee; and that people who might speak out about it have been bought off. The result is that the sanctimonious Cameron, if he wins on 6th May, will proceed to place in a prominent place in British government, a person who has very possibly been party to flagrant breaches of the law. Labour will be mugs if they let the din of the campaign drown out the possibility of catching the hypocritical Tories bang to rights.