Hugh Grant spills the beans

I wondered why Hugh Grant was trending on Twitter, it couldn't be that he had a new film coming out. In fact it was because of an extraordinary piece of investigative journalism that he has undertaken and is published in The New Statesman, it relates to the phone-hacking scandal and will make very uncomfortable reading for Andy Coulson, the News Of The World, The Mail and others but not necessarily for Rupert Murdoch. Do read the whole piece and no it's not an April Fool, it's dated yesterday!

What's sauce for the goose etc.

Dan Hodges in The New Statesman reports that:

'Conservative party supporters have "placed a bounty" on the head of Ed Miliband's spin doctor Tom Baldwin, following the resignation of Downing Street Communications Director Andy Coulson. According to senior Westminster sources, Tory sympathisers have employed the services of a private investigative agency to explore the background of Baldwin, who was appointed by the Labour leader last December.

Although the investigators were initially recruited prior to the announcement of Coulson's departure, the events of the past week have added to the determination to gather information that could embarrass Ed Miliband and senior members of his staff. "Before Coulson resigned it was business. Now it's personal," said another informed source.'

This is called reporting a story and is fine. However 'The grit in the oyster of the new politics; then reports that:

'"Tom's landing blows and the Tories don't like it," said one Labour insider. "It's no surprise they're looking for ways to smear him."'

So when the Labour party and their tame media friends smear Andy Coulson that is fair but when the Conservatives start to do some digging on Tom Baldwin that is 'smearing' - Well it's a point of view.

Who might replace Andy Coulson?

I think that Fraser Nelson in The Spectator may have unconsciously put his finger on a possible replcament:

'As the Cameroons are such West Wing junkies, here’s Leo McGarry trying to make up with his wife – but admitting that being Chief of Staff took precedence over everything else. He buys her a choker and dinner, to apologise for never being around. His wife packs and calls a taxi. She tells Leo:

“I don't want to live like this. I just can't....”
“This is the most important thing I'll ever do, Jenny. I have to do it well.”
“It's not more important than your marriage.”
“It is more important than my marriage, right now. These few years while I'm doing this, yes, it's more important than my marriage.”

Leo spoke the truth: this is the trade-off you make. Job first, life distant second. Who will make that trade-off for the great cause of the coalition? That – and the sheer pressures of the job – is why the vacancy is so hard to fill. '

A political operator who has a grudge against Ed Miliband & Ed Balls and already has marital issues... how about Alan Johnson?

Andy Coulson's resignation

News that Andy Coulson has resigned stating that coverage of the phone-hacking story had "made it difficult for me to give the 110% needed in this role" has left me nonplussed. One cannot give more than 100% to anything, by definition 100% is everything. I expect this sort of basic logical error from a footballer but not from a Conservative Prime Minister's Press Secretary, whatever would they say at Eton?

Andy Couldosn's resignation has also lead me to a nice piece of satire at The Poke who inform us that:

'At a highly-charged press conference in London today, David Cameron confirmed that Andy Coulson has resigned in order to concentrate more fully on his joint venture with Apple, the Spi-pad, which allows users to effortlessly share text, music, streaming video and private conversations directly with Mr. Coulson himself.'

My love of grammar also responded well to this line:

'“This is the next level of 4G interactivity,” Jobs proclaimed to an ecstatic audience of tech experts and Stephen Fry in his final speech before taking time off due to ill-health. “Never again will you have an excuse not to tell Andy exactly what you’re doing, where, and to who.”

“It’s ‘to whom’.” Fry was heard muttering at the back of the conference.'

Of course the BBC are conflicted today; part of them wants to concentrate on proving that Tony Blair lead the UK into an 'illegal war' but another part wants to obsess over Andy Coulson's guilt. Maybe like Channel 4 they will have to extend their early evening news bulletins... Something tells me that the BBC will ocncentrate on both of these news stories rather than the Alan Johnson story or why Ed Balls was Ed Miliband's second choice as Shadow Chancellor.