Telegraph turns on Cameron over “transparency” of Brooks relationship

Criticism of David Cameron’s relationship with News International has moved from the Labour party to the editorial pages of his party’s favourite newspaper. Today’s Telegraph leader follows reports on BBC Newsnight yesterday that Tory MPs were “starting to talk about David Cameron’s future … [and] stick the boot in”.

Today’s Torygraph says:

“if there is to be an inquiry into police links with the media, why is the Government – and the Prime Minister in particular – apparently exempt from such forensic scrutiny?

“Mr Cameron has made much of the importance of “transparency” in this affair, a point he repeated on his now-truncated trip to South Africa yesterday…

“But he has not been frank with the public about his own relationship with News International executives, and Mrs Brooks in particular. It was reported in January that Mr Cameron and his wife were guests of Mrs Brooks at her home over Christmas. Yet establishing that simple fact, the date it occurred and the identities of those present has been like drawing blood from a stone.

Those comments follow Ed Miliband’s remarks yesterday morning where he said:

“Sir Paul Stephenson yesterday made an honourable decision and took responsibility.

“It is of great concern, however, that the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was unable to discuss vital issues with the prime minister because he felt that David Cameron was himself compromised on this issue because of Andy Coulson.

“It is also striking that Sir Paul Stephenson has taken responsibility and resigned over the employment of Mr Coulson’s deputy, while the prime minister hasn’t even apologised for hiring Mr Coulson.”

Mr Cameron will reply to written parliamentary questions today over whether he sought Cabinet Office approval prior to meeting James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks at Christmas in the midst of the News Corp bid for BSkyB. John Mann MP has written to Gus O’Donnell, the civil service Permanent Secretary, accusing Cameron of breaching the Ministerial Code. Meanwhile, the PM is still to apologise  for hiring Andy Coulson in the first place, a decision dubbed as “an own goal” by his own backbencher, John Baron MP.