Phone Hacking and the Media

Alan Johnson Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. If we are to tackle this very serious cancer that we have seen in our society in the past week, we need a responsible attitude from Members on both sides of the House, and if we are worried about newspapers getting above the law, Ministers need to set an example and ensure that they do not get above the law themselves.

[Alan Johnson (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) (Lab)]

I am surprised that we have the monkey at the Dispatch Box and not the organ grinder—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Members are entitled to their own views on taste. There has been no breach of order.

[Alan Johnson]

The Prime Minister said on Friday that he received no “specific” information, but it is clear that that information was passed to Ed Llewellyn. If Ed Llewellyn failed to pass that information to the Prime Minister, will he be sacked or given “a second chance”?

[Mr Hunt]

I take being called a monkey very seriously, because in my wife’s country they used to eat them.

With regard to what the Prime Minister did or did not know, he will answer for himself, but he has said that he takes full responsibility for the decisions he took and that he had no knowledge of any illegal of criminal activity by Andy Coulson when he decided to employ him.