257 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
257 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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uknews
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8264458
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-----
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# Nick Clegg backs prosecutors' phone hacking review
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## Nick Clegg has backed a decision by prosecutors to re-examine evidence on
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alleged phone hacking that threatens the position of Andy Coulson, David
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Cameron's communications chief.
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![Andy Coulson resigned from the News of the World after its royal editor was
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arrested and subsequently jailed for illegally intercepting phone messages][1]
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Andy Coulson resigned from the News of the World after its royal editor was
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arrested and subsequently jailed for illegally intercepting phone messages
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Photo: PA
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By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent 3:12PM GMT 17 Jan 2011
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The Deputy Prime Minister said it was "totally legitimate" for Kier Starmer,
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the Director of Public Prosecutions, to review evidence suggesting that
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journalists working for Mr Coulson had illegally accessed the voicemail of
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public figures.
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Mr Clegg's remarks came after Mr Cameron admitted that Mr Coulson was
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"embarrassed" by revelations about the conduct of staff on the News of the
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World when he was its editor.
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Mr Coulson ran the tabloid until 2007. He resigned after its royal
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correspondent, Clive Goodman, was convicted of illegal phone hacking.
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Now the Government's director of communications, Mr Coulson has repeatedly
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insisted Goodman was a rogue reporter and that he knew nothing of any crimes
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committed by his staff.
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That position has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks, because a
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number of civil cases brought against the News of the World by public figures
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have alleged that other journalists were involved in hacking.
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## Related Articles
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* [Andy Coulson quits Downing Street in wake of phone hacking scandal][2]
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21 Jan 2011
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* [Andy Coulson under pressure from new CPS probe][3]
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14 Jan 2011
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* [Andy Coulson under pressure over new phone hacking files][4]
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09 Jan 2011
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* [Police: News of the World phone hacking answers demanded][5]
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08 Jan 2011
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* [Police set to reopen NOTW phone hacking case][6]
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07 Jan 2011
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* [Sheridan guilty of perjury][7]
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23 Dec 2010
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Mr Starmer last week said he would review all the evidence relating to the
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alleged hacking, including information arising from those civil cases. The
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review may lead to criminal charges being brought, something that would
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intensify the pressure on Mr Coulson.
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Mr Cameron is still backing his aide, but some senior Lib Dem ministers are
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privately uncomfortable at Mr Coulson's role in Downing Street.
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Asked if he believed Mr Coulson was a fit and proper person to hold his job,
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Mr Clegg replied: "He has made clear, he denies any wrongdoing. He denies any
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association with wrongdoing in his time at the News of the World. I'm not
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going to start constantly second-guessing what people said."
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He added: "The DPP has decided to look into it - that's a totally legitimate
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thing to do. It's probably a very good way of getting to the bottom of this
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one way or the other."
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Mr Cameron told the BBC that he believed Mr Coulson had already made amends
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for "bad things" that happened during his editorship, and insisted that the
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communications chief deserved a second chance.
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"I always think that the danger at the moment is that he is effectively being
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punished twice for the same offence," he said. "I gave him a second chance. I
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think that sometimes in life it is right to give someone a second chance."
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Mr Cameron insisted that Mr Coulson was doing his job well and in a "proper"
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way.
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But he added: "Of course he, as anyone who is human would be, is extremely
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embarrassed by the endless publicity and speculation about what happened many
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years ago when he was editor of the News of the World."
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It was reported on Sunday that Mr Coulson had offered to quit over the
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continuing speculation about his past, but been persuaded by Mr Cameron to
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stay on.
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Downing Street on Sunday denied that report, but the Prime Minister refused to
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repeat that denial, insisting he would not comment on "private conversations."
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[X][8] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][9]
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* Share: [Share][8] [ ][10] [ ][11]
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[Tweet][12]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8264458/Nick-Clegg-backs-prosecutors-
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phone-hacking-review.html
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Telegraph
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## [UK News][13]
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* ### [News »][14]
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* ### [Politics »][15]
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* ### [Conservative »][16]
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* ### [David Cameron »][17]
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[In UK News »][13]
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[![US President Barack Obama's state visit to Britain: day two in
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pictures][18] ][19]
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### [Obamas visit Britain: day two][19]
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[![US President Barack Obama's state visit to Britain: security and
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protests][20] ][21]
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### [Obama: security and protests][21]
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[![Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barack Obama during a State Banquet in
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Buckingham Palace,][22] ][23]
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### [Obamas visit Britain: day one][23]
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[X][8] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][9]
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Share:
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* [ ][8]
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* [ ][10]
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* [ ][11]
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* [Tweet][12]
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* Advertisement
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![][24]
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Advertisement
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[Follow The Telegraph on Social Media »][25]
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Composer, musician, poet and author whose writing provided a vivid commentary
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var puffs_8120657 = new Array();
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