A “very sudden sea change in attitudes”? No, I don’t think so. But Yes, the problem — not, please, “the cancer” – remains. And, after a media paroxysm, we’ll all move on to something else — as with the bankers, MPs’ expenses….Soon, it will be business as usual – wth a few minor and possibly worthy reforms.

Brooks went when she did because she was no longer useful as cover, given Rupe and Junior will have to appear in person next week at the Commons:

http://zelo.tv/qZFQsD

As for Les Hinton, the serially tenacious Tim Ireland has found what looks like a case of Stateside misbehaviour, and I reckon it could be down to whoever succeeded Anthony Pellicano:

http://zelo.tv/qN0XPG

But what it isn’t is a left versus right political battle – it’s just straightforward criminality. And it’s no use saying “they’re all at it”: it’s far more complex than that.

“Despite everything, we still don’t really know why Rupert Murdoch was so intent on keeping dear Rebekah at the top of NI”

Is this even an interesting question?

“It’s true [Rupert Murdoch] feels a special affinity with those who have dragged themselves up from under-privileged backgrounds…”

Was her background under-privileged? Not particularly, I gather — despite her chavvy-sounding spelling of her forename. And what’s wrong with dragging yourself up from an under-privilegd background? Nothing? Then why even allude to it, however obliquely?

The Limo, Septicisle, the f-ing limo. Brooks will not have a limo and that will generate lots of fun.

Not just Giles Coren and the Murdoch’s. Max Clifford spoke well of her too.
Nothing to do with his payout though…

theophrastus: I didn’t even begin to imply there was something wrong with it, however obliquely. I was just pointing out the similarities between her background with that of MacKenzie and Coulson’s, all of whom were working class if not “under-privileged” as I somewhat erroneously put it.

“And what’s wrong with dragging yourself up from an under-privilegd background? Nothing? Then why even allude to it, however obliquely?”

Because it tells us something illuminating and important about the CVs of journalists that Murdoch wants as editors of his tabloid papers. In short, he doesn’t want “elitist” graduate-types who lack insight into the reading preferences of most readers of his tabloids. There are good and substantive but worrying reasons for this:

An “unacceptably” high number of people in England cannot read, write and count properly, MPs have warned.

The Public Accounts Committee said in 2007 51,000 pupils left school without a GCSE of at least D-G in maths and 39,000 left without this in English.
The report into adult literacy and numeracy also warned that only one in five offenders with poor basic skills had enrolled on a course to help them.

The PAC report said the government’s target of getting 95% of the adult population to have adequate reading, writing and maths skills would only bring England to the level currently achieved by the top 25% of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. [January 2009]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7856001.stm

Kelvin Mackenzie? working class background???

This is certainly the bollocks he likes to put across.

In fact both his parents were journalists, his mother at one time was press chief for the Tory leader of the Greater London Council and he went to a private school.

Rebekah Brooks keeps quiet about (or makes up – quel surprise!) her background, all that is known is she comes from Warrington, that doesn’t necessarily mean she has a working class background.

The only one for certain with a bona fide working class backgound is Coulson.