British PM's judgment on line over ex-editor's access
Source: Reuters
British PM's judgment on line over ex-editor's access
By Kate Holton and Michael Holden
LONDON | Thu May 10, 2012 1:43pm EDT
(Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a former tabloid editor whom he hired as his top spokesman access to some of the government's most sensitive secrets without full security clearance, an inquiry heard on Thursday.
Andy Coulson, a former editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, told a government-ordered investigation into press standards that Cameron's Conservative Party had asked few questions about his past and not carried out a full security check when he was appointed.
The inquiry also heard how Coulson held shares in Murdoch's News Corp while working for the government, something he said might look like a conflict of interest.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Critics says Cameron appointed Coulson in order to secure the backing of the journalist's former boss, Murdoch, and say the appointment showed a shocking lack of judgment.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/us-britain-hacking-coulson-idUSBRE84910Z20120510