Cameron defends ill-fated Coulson hire
Source: Agencies |
June 15, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday defended his ill-fated decision to make disgraced tabloid editor Andy Coulson his communications director, even though Coulson had already been tarnished in the phone-hacking scandal.
In sworn testimony before a UK media ethics inquiry, Cameron said he chose Coulson because he was looking for a tough man for a tough job. He said prime ministers are under constant media barrage and need strong help to get their message across.
"I had met him when he was editor of News of the World and I felt he was a very effective individual," Cameron said of Coulson. "That was my decision; I take full responsibility for it."
Cameron said he had received assurances that Coulson was not involved in phone hacking, but those proved hollow when Coulson was forced to resign from his senior government post last year after new revelations about widespread wrongdoing at his newspaper. Coulson has since been charged with perjury.
Coulson had resigned as News of the World editor in 2007 after his paper was found to have hacked into the voicemail messages of top aides to the royal family.
In sworn testimony before a UK media ethics inquiry, Cameron said he chose Coulson because he was looking for a tough man for a tough job. He said prime ministers are under constant media barrage and need strong help to get their message across.
"I had met him when he was editor of News of the World and I felt he was a very effective individual," Cameron said of Coulson. "That was my decision; I take full responsibility for it."
Cameron said he had received assurances that Coulson was not involved in phone hacking, but those proved hollow when Coulson was forced to resign from his senior government post last year after new revelations about widespread wrongdoing at his newspaper. Coulson has since been charged with perjury.
Coulson had resigned as News of the World editor in 2007 after his paper was found to have hacked into the voicemail messages of top aides to the royal family.
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