Vacillating Cameron’s old Tory style

PERHAPS you will allow me to respond to the article by GP Taylor headed “Cameron has shown us a new Tory style” (Yorkshire Post, July 16). I really could not believe what I was reading as the phone hacking scandal has shown us the usual Tory style of “sleaze” characterised by the last two Tory administrations. Is it any wonder that people are sick to death of politicians and the corrupt society we live in?

Who will forget Cameron’s vacillating and “mealy mouthed” replies when confronted in Parliament by Ed Miliband during the recent debate on the phone hacking scandal or his idiotic defence of his own involvement with News International executives.

I believe Cameron’s involvement with Rupert Murdoch and his companies needs to be investigated and we need to know just what Cameron promised this company in return for Murdoch’s newspapers’ support during the last election campaign.

I have long felt that Rupert Murdoch and his media empire are a threat to democracy so have never availed myself of either his newspapers or TV channels and well remember my fear when Tony Blair went half-way round the world to “cosy up” to Murdoch.

Then there is the role of the Metropolitan Police Force in the phone hacking scandal and their flawed investigation, and what about certain parts of the British “free press?”

I have long thought that they operated just above the gutter but how wrong was I? It seems that the sewers are more appropriate.

It ill behoves this country ever again to complain of so-called banana republics where corruption is so rife when here in the UK we have such a rotten and corrupt system of Government. Thank goodness that Ed Miliband had the courage to stand up against the Murdoch empire but I fear he and the Labour Party will pay dearly at the next election when the full might of Murdoch’s media empire will be unleashed against them.

From: Phil Hanson, Beechmount Close, Baildon, Shipley.

WITH the heat starting to build, we have had a number of resignations recently, the most important of which is Sir Paul Stephenson’s (Yorkshire Post, July 18).

It is a scene like a fire in a barn where all the rats are leaving. As a taxpayer I only have one question, how much has it cost us?

If Sir Paul has left his lavish job without a penny of pay, I will be surprised. Does anyone want to open a book on how much we have stumped up?

From: Barry Foster, Manor Cottages, High Stakesby, Whitby.

HOW generous it was of Milly Dowler’s family to meet Rupert Murdoch, certainly much more than I could ever have been. My own view is that Murdoch should be sent back to wherever he came from and remain there. As far as I recall he has done nothing but criticise this country since he acquired all his power. It really does make me boil and certainly doesn’t assist my blood pressure.

Additionally, why aren’t so many of our MPs and those in authority speaking out against his devious ways. There are far too many in the Murdoch bed for it to be healthy. It really is time someone somewhere stuck up for the ordinary people of this country, most of whom have worked and paid their taxes throughout their lives and never get anything in return.

From: Richard Billups, East Avenue, Rawmarsh, Rotherham.

I EAGERLY awaited Wednesday’s Yorkshire Post for Sir Bernard Ingham’s blistering attack on News International and Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, I thought, was going to get it with both barrels from Bernard for bringing journalism down into the mire.

I was sure we’d get half a page of blood and thunder leaving Murdoch in no doubt how Bernard felt seeing the media brought down further in the gutter. As man and boy Bernard’s occupation has been his only reason for existing and some jumped up Aussie was tarnishing it. Oh was I disappointed when once again it was another advertisement for the coalition.

Singing his praises for Danny Alexander, Bernard tells us he’d never met the man. Well Bernard lad in this day and age you don’t have to meet anybody to know all about them, you can simply hack into their phone.

What also stood out Bernard is you like the lad because he’s more of a puppet than the rest of the Lib Dems. He’s more like David Cameron is to Rupert Murdoch – a puppet on a string.

From: Andrew Suter, Station Road, Ampleforth, York.

I REFER to the recent Home Affairs Select Committee hearing chaired by Keith Vaz (Yorkshire Post, July 13). The way the committee treated the police officers was a disgrace and nothing but a show trial.

I was left very much asking myself, how did we end up with Keith Vaz as its chairman? Could this be the same Mr Vaz that has been discredited in Parliament on more than one occasion, sacked as Europe Minister, and later suspended from Parliament?

If the police officers he interviewed had track records to match his they would have been sacked from the police service years ago.

Mr Vaz should not be sitting on an influential House of Commons committee let alone chairing it and questioning other people’s probity. The hearing in question was truly a disgrace.

From: Max Nottingham, St Faith’s Street, Lincoln.

WHEN I was young I loved reading the News of the World for its sport: stories like “Footballer in bed with lady jockey”.

It became a victim of unbridled competition for juicy stories. Competition is a modern buzz word. We must remember that taken to excess it can be a disaster.

We need to keep sight of our common humanity.