Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain (52 page)

21. At the time of his murder, Morgan was increasingly concerned about the links between Rees, his business partner at Southern Investigations and corrupt police.

22. Flanked by
News of the World
staff outside Thomas More Square, Wapping, on 9 July 2011, Colin Myler holds its 8,674th edition bearing the legend, ‘The world’s greatest newspaper 1843–2011’.

23. Britain’s top policeman, Sir Paul Stephenson, resigned as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police after accepting an £11,000 free stay at Champneys health spa – whose PR advisor was Neil Wallis.

24. Hours after the
News of the World
’s presses rolled for the last time, Murdoch shrugged off demands for Rebekah Brooks to resign. Asked for his priority, he pointed at her and said: ‘This one.’ Brooks went five days later.

25. Scotland Yard detectives search Andy Coulson’s home in south London following his arrest on 8 July 2011 on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption. In January 2012, Coulson put the five-bedroom house on the market for £1.6m.

26. In the House of Commons on 20 July, the Prime Minister said that ‘in hindsight’ he wished he had not appointed Coulson as his director of communications: ‘You live and you learn – and believe me, I have learnt.’

27. Protesters gathered outside the Houses of Parliament as Rupert and James Murdoch appeared before MPs on 19 July 2011. Millions around the world watched the hearing live on television.

28. ‘Before you get to that, I would just like to say one sentence … This is the most humble day of my life.’

29. A comedian, a film star and the former head of world motorsport – Steve Coogan, Hugh Grant and Max Mosley – railed against tabloid tactics at Parliament’s joint committee on privacy on 5 December 2011.

30. J. K. Rowling felt like she was being ‘blackmailed’ by the
Sun
in 2003 over a leak of her new book,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
.

31. In exchange for singing at Rupert Murdoch’s and Wendi Deng’s wedding in 1999, Charlotte Church was promised ‘good press’: it didn’t happen. After settling her case in February 2012, she said: ‘In my opinion, they are not truly sorry, only sorry they got caught.’