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Clean Politics > Published by Tom Rouse, August 23rd 2011 at 3:10 pm

What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch?

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After a few weeks of relative anonymity,  Andy Coulson is firmly back in the spotlight after  the BBC’s Robert Peston revealed last night that he was receiving money from News International, whilst in his new role working as David Cameron’s spin doctor in chief.

David-Cameron-Andy-Coulson
Despite resigning as editor of News of the World in January 2007, Coulson continued to receive payment from the News International through until the end of that year, with payment continuing even after he took up his role as communications director for the Conservatives.

Andrew Neil, a former News International employee and editor, has questioned whether this was standard practice for the company, tweeting that his contract with NI provided him with no such entitlement should he choose to resign. Why then was payment made in the current case, especially as Coulson resigned as a means of taking responsibility for events that occurred on his watch.

Here at Left Foot Forward we have previously expressed concern over the salary paid to Coulson out of the taxpayers’ pocket. These concerns are particularly relevant if, as Robert Peston has reported, Coulson continued to enjoy benefits from his previous employment while working for the Tories.

A full financial disclosure by both the Conservative Party and Coulson is surely now required, as is a formal statement from Coulson admitting he misled Parliament. Questions regarding what David Cameron and George Osborne knew about Coulson and his past when they chose to hire him and their judgement in doing so are sure to resurface.

As recently as July 12th, a senior Conservative party official gave the following quote to The Guardian, categorically denying Coulson was receiving any other form of payment while working for the party:

“We can give categorical assurances that he wasn’t paid by any other source. Andy Coulson’s only salary, his only form of income, came from the party during the years he worked for the party and in government.”

And Coulson himself delivered the killer line, conveniently failing to mention any cross-over of  payments when appearing before a culture, media and sport select committee in July 2009:

Tom Watson MP: “So your sole income was News International and then your sole income was the Conservative Party?”

Andy Coulson: “Yes.”

News International have also previously been reluctant to discuss any payments made by the company to Coulson after his resignation:

James Murdoch: “I have no knowledge of Andy Coulson’s wages after he left the company’s employment.”

…Adrian Sanders MP: “Did you approve the subsidising of Andy Coulson’s salary after he left News of the World?”

Rebekah Brooks: “Again, that’s not true, so I didn’t approve it.”

There seems to have been a case of collective amnesia regarding Coulson’s continued payment by News International. The big question now is what does Coulson know that neither Mr Cameron nor Murdoch Jr. wants coming out? Was he paid a severance package as hush money to prevent further details of the phone hacking scandal coming out sooner?

Due diligence was clearly either not performed or the evidence which was found was ignored. The latter seems more likely; surely Cameron or one of his aides must at some point have thought to ask whether Coulson was still receiving any form of financial contribution from News International?

Perhaps the prime minister would like to return from his holidays once more, to confirm whether this was ignorance or a wilful misleading of parliament and of the British public.

  • http://twitter.com/butsurelynot/status/106005607898816514 Roblackenby

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/gemini2359/status/106005984744439808 heather smart

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/gazfromdonny/status/106006170396921856 Gary Broadhurst

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/salardeen/status/106006321878413313 salardeen

    “@leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/WKjotqm by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate” Phone Hacking ?

  • http://twitter.com/unslugged/status/106006572555173888 Roger O Thornhill

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/iansaville/status/106006614816985088 Ian Saville

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/fluffkin/status/106006927267479552 FacePalm

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/greenleftie/status/106007035862204417 Michael Bater

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/m8VYXO4

  • http://twitter.com/salardeen/status/106007426981036032 salardeen

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/jodatu/status/106007562440290305 John Turner

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/nhsspy/status/106008518359920640 Watching You

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/gaemar01/status/106008531563577344 Gael

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/m8VYXO4

  • http://twitter.com/altgovuk/status/106009583063023616 AltGovUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/EAIAz0r by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate #NewsClub

  • http://twitter.com/markfergusonuk/status/106010616069763072 Mark Ferguson

    The million dollar question, asked by @leftfootfwd – What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://j.mp/oZHIWd

  • http://twitter.com/mradamrichards/status/106010971847401473 Adam Richards

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/trouse11/status/106011125723832320 Tom Rouse

    Over at @leftfootfwd we're back on the phone hacking trail: http://t.co/2tglt3m

  • http://twitter.com/jamesmills1984/status/106011124209680384 James Mills

    The million dollar question, asked by @leftfootfwd – What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://j.mp/oZHIWd

  • http://twitter.com/bloggerheads/status/106011225351127041 Tim Ireland

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/O7CGfj9

  • http://twitter.com/lisajoul/status/106011363490537472 Lisa Oulton

    The million dollar question, asked by @leftfootfwd – What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://j.mp/oZHIWd

  • http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/106012017206366209 Political Planet

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch?: Phone hacking: The big question now is what does Andy Coulson kn… http://t.co/5vndnbJ

  • http://twitter.com/tracyandrab/status/106012297394257920 tracy e

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/C4xJqwW

  • http://twitter.com/mcbuddah/status/106013112259457024 Hamish Mackintosh

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/O7CGfj9

  • http://twitter.com/annpettifor/status/106013294715879424 Ann Pettifor

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/ianbrumpton/status/106014250429988864 Ian Brumpton

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/angelicloulou/status/106014717184704512 Louise Barnes

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/terri_georgia/status/106014967442055169 Terri Harvey

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/chris_m_mckeown/status/106018244904755200 Chris McKeown

    “@Markfergusonuk: The million dollar question, asked by @leftfootfwd – What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/MZm9qub”

  • http://twitter.com/neilrfoster/status/106018805532200960 neilrfoster

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/ianbrumpton/status/106019060210348034 Ian Brumpton

    # Hacking – What does Andy 'Two Jobs' Coulson have on #DavidCameron and #NewsInternational? It must be good… http://t.co/uB8VRxn

  • John

    it was that party with the crack hoes and drugs they all went to

  • http://twitter.com/gobanian/status/106026687573139456 Gobanian

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://oxfordkevin.carbonclimate.org Oxford Kevin

    Wasn’t Osborne the one who more strenuously than anyone else pushed for Coulson’s appointment?

  • http://twitter.com/trojanspirit/status/106039763324256256 Trojanspirit1

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/derekrootboy/status/106042929373642752 Derek Thomas

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • William

    So what.Severance payments are common practice:look at the feast enjoyed by a myriad of failed labour apparatchiks in local government.Less than 30 percent of the vote in 2010,Mandy about to buy a £8m house,bent Labour MPs already in jail,people who live in glass houses…,and the Labour party is insolvent, and is trading illegally( what about your creditors?)…

  • http://twitter.com/simonzec23/status/106049957647228929 Simon Zec

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://petrolbombs.com/?p=690 David Cameron’s blind spot over Andy Coulson shows he has no eye for detail – The Guardian | Petrol Bombs

    [...] Andy CoulsonTelegraph.co.ukMP calls for Electoral Commission inquiry into CoulsonJournalism.co.ukLeft Foot Forward -Daily Mail -The Press Associationall 454 news [...]

  • http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/106053155988582400 Michael

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? – http://t.co/QxRTGuB

  • http://twitter.com/badgerbrocks/status/106054367278411776 bryan

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/1lslqlb via @addthis

  • http://twitter.com/jo5hi/status/106066982306197504 Joshi

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/1MB0zJi

  • http://twitter.com/jacabsolute/status/106067266122162176 JacAbsolute

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/O7CGfj9

  • http://twitter.com/trouse11/status/106075026259845120 Tom Rouse

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/yxmPND9 by @TRouse11 #phonehacking #hackgate

  • http://twitter.com/elainesk/status/106087537558306817 Elaine S

    RT @TheRightArticle What does #Coulson have on #Cameron and #Murdoch? – http://t.co/XcwKO9E #NI

  • Dave Citizen

    This lot smacks of a cosy little clique who have convinced themselves and each other that they are clever enough to get around normal rules of behaviour. I have to say it reminds me of a level of arrogance that seemed to get a grip of Blair after a few years as pm.

  • http://twitter.com/thedeadduck/status/106090567418658816 Molly

    The million dollar question, asked by @leftfootfwd – What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://j.mp/oZHIWd

  • http://twitter.com/cllrkrichards/status/106116455417917440 Kevin Richards

    A question that many are asking RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/kgcI96w

  • http://twitter.com/deardaveandnick/status/106117596847411200 Bern O’Donoghue

    A question that many are asking RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/kgcI96w

  • http://twitter.com/interuncut/status/106121397448884224 InterUncut

    A question that many are asking RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/kgcI96w

  • http://twitter.com/lucinda_wells/status/106122122027479040 Lucinda Wells

    A question that many are asking RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/kgcI96w

  • http://twitter.com/janebrown1956/status/106125816743735296 Jane Brown

    A question that many are asking RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/kgcI96w

  • Mr. Sensible

    William, such payments are indeed common across industry, but not at NI if you believe Andrew Neil, who ought to know more than most considering he edited the Sunday Times.

  • http://twitter.com/peterswindon/status/106245669500624896 Peter Swindon

    RT @leftfootfwd: What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch? http://t.co/7PlYpRj

  • Simon Landau

    @William and @Mr. Sensible – a severance payment is different from a compromise agreement (the latter being the instrument by which Coulson got paid £270K in instalments plus benefits for three years). The first is normally contractual (and thus black & white). The latter is a negotiated agreement (often between lawyers or lawyers on one side & HR on the other). The compromise agreement is normally (always ?) triggered by dubiety (on either side) of the resignation so requiring some negotiation or embarrassing publicity/damage and further action may result.

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/08/daily-mail-cherry-picks-data-to-bash-life-saving-speed-cameras/ Daily Mail cherry picks data to bash life-saving speed cameras | Left Foot Forward

    [...] the effect on governance or fatalities, is a matter for readers to judge on the evidence they have at [...]

  • Nigel Wootton

    Who authorised Coulson’s regular payments from NI while he was working for David Cameron? Who’s been telling the truth in Parliamentary enquiries about the payments: Brooks or James Murdoch? Brooks: “I didn’t approve it.” Murdoch: “I have no knowledge of Andy Coulson’s wages after he left the company’s employment (In Jan. 2007).”
    Can Coulson elaborate? Coulson has not declared his pay from NI for services rendered while being Cameron’s chief spin-doctor, and neither declared NI’s company car, or private healthcare that they paid for him. There are also NI’s regular reimbursements for Coulson’s legal defence costs in phone-hacking hearings. While Cameron, Grayling and Insidious Dole Snatcher nastily spin to the press about the “work-shy” and “scroungers,” what shall we label this matey gang who high-roll and binge on the public purse: Coulson, Brooks, James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Cameron, Osborne, Hunt, Gove, Fox, Hague. Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy; they’re all in it together. Drip, drip.

  • http://twitter.com/iamalrightjack/status/107128053326544897 I’malrightjack

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch ? http://t.co/MU7Kejw #BoycottMurdoch #CameronResign #boycottTheSun #Dontbuythesun #Lft96 RT

  • http://twitter.com/qaudrille/status/107130672270938113 Rocki Stone

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch ? http://t.co/MU7Kejw #BoycottMurdoch #CameronResign #boycottTheSun #Dontbuythesun #Lft96 RT

  • http://twitter.com/eddiebalfour/status/107135064357339137 EddieBalfour

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch ? http://t.co/MU7Kejw #BoycottMurdoch #CameronResign #boycottTheSun #Dontbuythesun #Lft96 RT

  • Belen

    http://www.notbornyesterday.org/brownblairsucc1.htm
    Brown had something on Blair and WE ALL know what Cameron/Murdoch has on Brown, it is like an elephant in the room. Cameron used it to stop Brown heading IMF..problem is it went right over everyones head.

  • http://twitter.com/katycakes1/status/107157912778059776 Katycakes

    What does Coulson have on Cameron and Murdoch ? http://t.co/MU7Kejw #BoycottMurdoch #CameronResign #boycottTheSun #Dontbuythesun #Lft96 RT

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/08/phone-hacking-andy-coulson-news-international-murdoch-pay-off-questions/ Phone hacking: Questions over Coulson’s Murdoch pay-off won’t go away | Left Foot Forward

    [...] very little information forthcoming all we are left with are questions: • Why didn’t Cameron or the Conservative Party ask about continuing links with News [...]