Police must be held to highest standards

REGARDING the phone-hacking scandal, as a young police constable in Hull in the early 1950s I was aware that Mr Lawrence, the Chief Constable, was a martinet who would be down like a ton of bricks on anyone who stepped out of line.

We were strongly impressed with the mantra, “Do not accept any favours, money or goods without paying for them”. Later, as an instructor at a police training centre, I impressed my students with the same sense of duty.

For the Commissioner of the Met Police to accept the level of hospitality that he did must show some naivety to say the least (Yorkshire Post, July 18).

For the News of the World to pay police officers for information is equally foolish. Every officer who accepted money should be prosecuted and punished.

From: Malcolm Naylor, Grange View, Otley.

AFTER Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson resigned, one wonders who will be next? How far down the corridors of power will this scandal reach and will Murdoch have the last laugh?

Boris Johnson’s explanation of Sir Paul’s resignation was delivered with a quavering voice with more evasion and bluster than usual.

So the battle between the Establishment and Murdoch goes on, in a game of chess in which the pawns have fallen, leaving the principals vulnerable.

And meanwhile bad news is being quietly buried in the recesses of early morning BBC reports.

Cuts in services are continuing, the condition of the economy deteriorates but we are still giving money away to global capitalists.

While our contribution to the International Monetary Fund has doubled, the Government cuts funding for Parkinson’s nurses, the Armed Forces and crime increases make a return of conscription ever more likely.

Murdoch may still win this game and the public see through the Establishment’s bogeyman propaganda.

He may in fact be the saviour of democracy if he brings down the Establishment. So who will be next? This affair gets ever nearer to No. 10.

From: David W Wright, Uppleby, Easingwold, York.

THE telephone hacking saga rumbles on with more resignations, but how many more people are hiding behind the scenes – particularly politicians – who have courted the media for publicity and dubious “public relations” excuses?

This saga is endemic of our declining society and standards of behaviour, and one wonders just how far our Prime Minister and the Government are implicated in their desire to achieve higher profile for their policies and to gain public support.

We criticise the banana republics and seedier regimes around the world for their manipulation of the media, but we are guilty of the same dubious practices. So, can we expect David Cameron to resign shortly?

From: AW Clarke, Wold Croft, Sutton on Derwent, North Yorkshire.

REGARDING Mr Miliband and his latest pronouncements on the breaking up of the News International empire, I would like to remind readers of the old joke: Krushchev, by then first secretary of the Communist Party, is denouncing Stalin to the assembled Party Congress.

A voice from the audience cries out: “Where were you Mr Krushchev when all these dreadful things were taking place?” “Who said that?”’ replied Krushchev. No response! “That’s what I was doing!” said Krushchev.

Though I have no love for Mr Murdoch, I find it hard to stomach any of the protests of politicos who were glad of his support and were very happy to accept his hospitality when he wielded huge press power. They are cynical chancers, every one of them.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

DAVID Cameron looks to be in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Time to announce that referendum on our staying in Europe?