The News of the World hacking scandal

Scotland Yard have announced that they will reopen the investigation into the News of the World telephone hacking scandal. The Metropolitan Police were forced into the decision after evidence was passed to them by the NotW owners, News International (a subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corp), following the sacking of assistant news editor, Ian Edmondson last week. Edmondson was sacked after communications were uncovered in his emails between him and Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective jailed for the original phone hacking allegations.

The sacking represents a change of course for News International, who, since the imprisonment of former Royal Editor, Clive Goodman, have relied on the 'rogue reporter' defence. In other other words, Goodman acted alone and Mulcaire's activities were unknown to other senior staff despite being on a pretty hefty £105,000 a year contract. In the 2007 court hearing, Mr Justice Gross, the judge who sentenced Mulcaire concluded that from the evidence before him, he was satisfied that Mulcaire had dealt with "others at News International."According to the Independent, both Mulcaire and Goodman were paid money by the NotW after their convictions and neither has subsequently spoken out.

The coverage has already forced Andy Coulson, the editor of the NotW at the time to resign from the paper and on 21st January from his post as David Cameron's communications director. In December, the Crown Prosecution Service abandoned an investigation into allegations that Mr Coulson was personally involved in phone hacking as editor of the News of the World. But the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, announced this month that the CPS was conducting "a comprehensive assessment of the material in the possession of the Met... following developments in the civil courts". Ian Edmondson was described by ex-Times editor, Andew Neil, as being very close Coulson. Mr Coulson continues to deny any knowledge of the phone hacking.

Those 'developments' are the 20 alleged hacking victims, including comedian Steve Coogan and former deputy prime minister John Prescott – bringing proceedings in the High Court. News International have already reached a £700,000 settlement with Professional Footballers Association boss, Gordon Taylor and £1 million with publicist Max Clifford. Mulcaire, alone, confirmed that he tapped 91 people and the latest evidence has revealed that tapping continued into 2010, with actress Sienna Miller and her step-mother taking action.

On the whole it is a pretty seedy story. Privacy has been violated and at the moment it appears it was all to feed our hunger for gossip. I understand that what gave the game away was a report that said Prince William had pulled a tendon. The headlines may  may have been inconsequential but the story refuses to die. On Tuesday, Jeremy Hunt, I said Hunt, the Culture Secretary said that he was postponing his decision over referring Murdoch's News Corp takeover of BSkyB to the Competition Commission, despite the Ofcom advising that it would be harmful to the plurality of media in the UK. Murdoch, is in town and won't be enjoying having this bad publicity. Murdoch already owns four British newspapers, which have been engaged in a battle to undermine Ofcom's recommendation. There is a lot at stake. How far up the News International ladder can this story go? In an interview with the BBC, Andrew Neil said that, given his experience and knowledge of the culture of News International, the suggestion that no senior execs knew what was going on was, "incredible"

The settlements to Taylor and Clifford were very large and the parties have agreed not to disclose the evidence that forced News International's hand. On Monday the Guardian asked:

"who at News International (or indeed at parent company News Corporation) agreed to make settlement payments to Gordon Taylor and Max Clifford to end phone-hacking cases? More to the point, when they did so, what legal advice did they receive? After all, it would be an incurious board member who agreed to write out a six-figure settlement cheque, but who did not ask why. Was the person authorising the payment told that there were references to the potential involvement of other News of the World reporters in alleged phone hacking? Or is there another reason why six-figure settlements are appropriate?"

Whilst Murdoch battles to extend his empire, the Metropolitan Police are struggling to maintain some credibility, thanks to their inadequate investigation of the original allegations. How often have you heard senior politicians say that the police can't be trusted to carry out a proper inquiry? Lord Prescott has called for a judicial review. The original investigation was carried out by counter-terrorism officers under the command of acting deputy commissioner John Yates. However, the Met announced that the new investigation would be handled by deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers from the specialist crime directorate. The counter-terrorist officers are now "too busy".

Back in September the Guardian speculated about the Met's close relationship with News International. Tamson Allen, who is representing some of the victims and is calling for judicial review said, "If there was no conspiracy, the police handling so far, has made it look very like one." She argues that the police have consistently limited the release of evidence and through legal 'semantics' have reduced the number of victims. The Today programme suggested that real number could be in the thousands. Most importantly, why did the police only pursue Goodman and Mulcaire, when other people were named in Mulcaire's notebooks? They didn't even interview those named, one of whom was Edmondson.

Where will it end? It's not Watergate yet, but, according to the Independent, both Alastair Campbell and Gordon Brown have asked the Met to investigate whether they were victims.

Will the story lead to Downing Street? ... Again?