Pressure grows on Coulson asMPs back phone-hacking probe

Claims that MPs’ mobiles were hacked by News of the World reporters will be examined by the powerful Standards and Privileges Committee.

All parties yesterday backed the fresh probe – sparked by Labour frontbencher Chris Bryant who said he believed many MPs from all sides of the Commons had been targeted.

Ex-royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for intercepting voicemail messages left for public figures in 2007.

The newspaper has always claimed Goodman was an isolated case but the row was reignited last week when former reporter Sean Hoare claimed in a New York Times article that then News of the World editor Mr Coulson had been aware such eavesdropping was happening – an allegation he strongly denies.

Yesterday, a former investigative journalist fuelled the row with claims he and the other former reporters on the paper routinely used private investigators to gather information, using acts which could be regarded as unlawful.

Paul McMullan said reporters did not believe at the time that it was illegal to hack into voicemail.

Metropolitan Police officers are planning to interview Mr Hoare about his claims, and Assistant Commissioner John Yates said he is likely to speak to Mr Coulson as he considers whether to reopen the police probe.

As MPs debated whether to refer the matter to the watchdog, Mr Bryant told the Commons he was one of the MPs who had contacted the Metropolitan Police and been told he was on a list of those allegedly targeted by Mulcaire.

But he said he suspected that was the “tip of the iceberg” and hacking also extended to Liberal Democrats and Tories.

He said hacking into MPs’ phones was “a contempt of Parliament, a severe breach of parliamentary privilege” which could compromise their right to speak freely, which “stems in essence from the 1689 Bill of Rights”.

“I would urge the committee to use all of the powers at its disposal. That includes the power to summon any person it wishes and to require them to attend,” he said.

The MPs should investigate whether other newspapers were involved and whether witnesses at the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the matter “lied to the House”, he said.

Tory MP John Whittingdale, who chaired that inquiry, backed the fresh inquiry as some of the new claims “appear to contradict some of the evidence that we received”.