Murdoch

Westminster is still gripped by the News of the World debacle.

The backdrop is shocking. Milly Dowler's phone was hacked — a criminal offence with the cruellest twist, that of raising the hopes of her family that she might be alive when she was dead.

There are many others on the hackers' list. There is the nauseous spectre of police corruption — the bent copper — the abuse of authority, its corrosive effect on trust, the politicians who ate the corporate canapés, who got too close.

The whole tawdry tale is an affront to democracy. The debate in Parliament last week, calling for Murdoch's bid for BskyB to be withdrawn said as much. A debate that was as pointless as it was effective. Its tabling appears to have caused its objective before even a word was uttered. The Murdoch bid was withdrawn. So now what?

My view is that we must do some things and avoid others. We need to press home the police investigation and the public inquiries announced by the Prime Minister.

However, we should avoid being impatient for politicians to pre-judge key issues — it will, for example, be for the police to decide whether some journalists or officers stand trial and for the courts to determine whether they are guilty.

And we should make sure that whatever the inquiry findings, we do not stifle responsible press freedom — at its best the press exposes wrong-doing and holds public figures to account.

It remains to be seen how far Murdoch falls and many may take delight in his woe — but whatever becomes of him there is something greater at stake in the firmament of our national life, the freedom of speech and democracy itself. We must now tread with care.

l For Mel Stride's Advice Surgeries please visit http://www.melstridemp.com">www.melstridemp.com