Blogs are already calling for Andy Coulson the Conservative Director of Communications (spin doctor) to resign or be sacked. Prescott was first in line being his usual bullish self on the BBC this morning and blogging furiously.
I understand his anger. He thinks this man was knowingly responsible for tapping his phone. Either that or he is pushing political advantage on the best opposite they have for Damian McBride...
The real question is: did he know what was going on? Andrew Neil on Newsnight certainly seemed to think he must have done as does Prescott.
Secondly one must ask: does it matter? Journalists under his control used generally illegal and at least immoral practices to get stories. He took ultimate responsibility for it and resigned. He now has another job and is presumably not employing these methods now. If he were it would be a different story but that is where this case differs greatly with McBride.
At the end of the day it seems like this has much more do with politics than the actual case in hand (and yes I am a hypocrite and would probably be calling for blood if it were a Labour aide in question).
A commons select committee has been set up to investigate the claims. Until the result is given rash action is inadvisable. There is already such a culture of distrust and spite for politicians (yes I am aware I have contributed to this) and sacking an innocent man would do no good.
If he is found to have known about the tapping (although Guido thinks this unlikely) then it will really be a judgement call for Cameron. Is this man worth sticking his neck out for? He resigned in the past, should he be punished again? Will the public allow him to stay? Lots of questions to ponder but until further evidence is revealed or a verdict reached Cameron is described as "very relaxed" and rightly so.
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