British Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his trip to Africa on Monday as the crisis in the Metropolitan Police deepened with the back-to-back resignations of commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and assistant commissioner John Yates over the phone-hacking scandal.
Mr Yates, who headed the anti-terrorism command, had last week admitted he had not fully reviewed all the evidence before deciding not to reopen the phone hacking investigation in 2009. He was also responsible for checking the credentials of former News of the World journalist Neil Wallis, who was arrested last week over hacking claims and had been employed by the Met police for a short period. Sir Paul Stephenson resigned on Sunday after a spate of allegations over his links with Mr Wallis.
Mr Yates, who was firm on not resigning, decided to quit after the Met police watchdog decided to suspend him over the allegations, pending an investigation. “It is a matter of great regret that the phone hacking was not more fully investigated under my watch,” Mr Yates said Monday evening. “But recently the malicious gossip about me has grown and will be a significant distraction in the runup to the London 2012 Olympics. I have acted with complete integrity and my conscience is clear,” he said.
Deputy commissioner Tim Godwin will be in charge of the Met police until the appointment of Sir Paul’s replacement, while Mr Yates will be replaced by Cressida Dick.
Mr Cameron, who is under immense pressure over his close ties with senior News International executives, had to cut short his Africa trip. The Prime Minister, who was supposed to go on a four-nation five-day trip, confined it to just South Africa and Nigeria, dropping Rwanda and South Sudan from his itinerary, and decided return to Britain on Tuesday night.
He also decided to push back the summer recess date of Parliament so that he can address the House of Commons on Wednesday after the evidence of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son James to the Commons select committee on Tuesday afternoon. The British Parliament was supposed to adjourn for its summer recess on Tuesday, but the break has been delayed by a day.
Mr Cameron, Downing Street said, had changed his schedule to prepare the statement that he will deliver to the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Home secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons on Monday afternoon that the Inspectorate of Constabulary would investigate police corruption. It would look at “undue influence, inappropriate contractual arrangements and other abuses of power in police relationships with the media and other parties.” Ms May also announced that a specific inquiry into the Met police’s links with the media would be headed by Elizabeth Filkin.
Two Labour MPs, Sir Gerald Kaufman and Dennis Skinner, during the debate on Ms May’s statement to the House of Commons, called for Mr Cameron’s resignation. Mr Skinner termed him as “dodgy Dave” and asked him to do “the decent thing and resign”.
Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the two resignations by Met officers had raised “serious questions for the home secretary and the Prime Minister, as Mr Cameron’s judgment had been called into question over his appointment of former communications chief Andy Coulson.
However, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg defended Mr Cameron and refused all calls for the Prime Minister’s resignation. “I do not think this is about the Prime Minister’s position. The issue about the police is people’s fears that a criminal investigation may have been compromised,” Mr Clegg told Sky News.