The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

How Brooks tried to destroy the Guardian

How is this phone hacking thing going to end? Rebekah Brooks: "With Alan Rusbridger on his knees, be

By Duncan Robinson Published 08 July 2011 17:54

Rebekah Brooks said that the phone-hacking scandal would end with Guardian editor "Alan Rusbridger on his knees, begging for mercy", according to Nick Davies in this week's Media Talk podcast over at the Guardian. Davies continues: "They would have destroyed us. If they could have done, they would have shut down the Guardian."

Elsewhere in the podcast, Rusbridger talks about the resistence to covering the scandal from within Fleet Street. "I was told from time to time that this was not helpful for Fleet Street," said Rusbridger. "The only thing that was going to damage Fleet Street was the failure to deal with this seriously. If the PCC had acted in 2009. . . then I think the News of the World would still be alive."

The general gist of the podcast is: "Ha, ha, we were right!" You can hardly blame them. People who should know better repeatedly told the Guardian that they were on a hiding to nothing, and yet we are now staring at a scandal that has brought down Britain's most read newspaper, revealed widespread corruption in the police and shaken the Prime Minister. The Guardian deserves its moment in the sun.

Listen to the whole podcast here.

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: The Guardian News of the World

More from Duncan Robinson

View the discussion thread.

35 comments

Sat, 2011-07-09 01:25 — Lady J (not verified)

Albie you are right;
Mcquade, you are wrong:

A minority government would not have lasted a year.
Without DEM-CONS Cameron would have had to call elections

Sun, 2011-07-10 17:46 — June Jones (not verified)

Well done Guardian but why aren't more people talking about the damage that was done to Unions after Wapping? Strong Unions offer protection to individuals journalists with decent values

Sat, 2011-07-09 01:32 — Lady J (not verified)

'Call me Dave' use the current crisi to raise taxes for oil corporations. (Source; Daily Politics 8 Aug 2011).

Another example of; 'we are all in it together' but just not his rich friends.

SUPPORT THE GUARDIAN BY SENDING THEM EMAILS/LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND BUYING THEIR NEWSPAERS.

Sun, 2011-07-10 20:37 — james (not verified)

"Yes, well done to the Guardian and in particular Nick Davies, who spent more than 2 years on this, and only now are people listing."

Absolutely, however it would be better for Rusbridger not to be so cynical saying Cameron should not have hired Coulson. What world would be in where people are not given a second chance? Completely hats off to the investigative journalism that exposed hacking but the attacks on Cameron look incredibly negative and cynical. Cameron has done nothing wrong, focus the anger on newscorp. There are far more worse things to attack cameron on other than the fact he gave someone a second chance who is basically a good bloke who rather than swim against the tide in fleet street, did the same that every other tabloid editor was doing

Wed, 2011-07-20 08:00 — Squiddly Diddly (not verified)

Much as it hurts me to praise a paper that supports the Leb Dims, I admire The Guardian's dogged determination in pursuing this story in the face of opposition from the Met.

Well done!

Sun, 2011-07-10 21:10 — Keri (not verified)

Well done the Guardian. To show my thanks I've just paid for a years subscription. Money well spent for quality Journalism.

Sat, 2011-07-09 09:39 — matthew fox (not verified)

I see the Right are throwing mud at Tom Baldwin, good luck that's what I say, because no one will listen.

Sat, 2011-07-09 10:45 — Rob (not verified)

The saddest part of all this apart from the obvious is that when the 'Sunday Sun' launches it will make News corp even more money so this will turn into just a blip for Murdoch and Brooks, but well done the Guardian, Cameron must be getting a bit worried with the friends him and his wife seem to be keeping at the present

Sat, 2011-07-09 11:56 — Peter taylor (not verified)

Yes, well done to the Guardian and in particular Nick Davies, who spent more than 2 years on this, and only now are people listing.

Sat, 2011-07-09 11:57 — Peter taylor (not verified)

That'll be listening then

Sat, 2011-07-09 14:25 — chicgods43

Wonderful.

Share a website with you ,

put this url in google sirch

( http://www.chic-goods.com/ )

Believe you will love it.

We accept any form of payment.

Sat, 2011-07-09 21:29 — iainburnshill

Is it possible Re-beat-ah's phone calls to Dave-the-deaf were hacked? Love to hear them!

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:06 — Alex MacDonald (not verified)

Brilliant! She really is just completely round the bend - do you think that if you're employed by Murdoch you gradually mutate into a clone of him?

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:08 — Sodium Haze (not verified)

fair play to the Guardian. They have nailed em. Top journalism!

meanwhile I hear that the wheels of a certain party machine are softly turning lest anyone hear them creaking...

...after a flurry of money this morning, ladbrookes have suspended all bets on Cameron being the next man out of the cabinet.

for whom does the bell toll...?

http://www.sodiumhaze.org/?p=645

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:13 — Ex Guardian reader (not verified)

Fair enough and well done The Guardian but they should also remember they backed the current Deputy Prime Minister without whom Cameron would not be PM

Sat, 2011-07-09 22:58 — Chris (not verified)

Not in merseyside it won't Rob.

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:31 — qilei6ug9

Yes, we may criticise the "liberal moment" Guardian, but this time it has proved again that when it comes to the crunch it is dogged and fearless. A reminder we are on the same side.

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:32 — mcquade

Not true. Cameron could quite easily be PM in a minority government/

Fri, 2011-07-08 18:38 — Nigel wootton (not verified)

Yes, this is the finest hour for the Guardian, and Freedom of the Press. The Press Complaints Commission must be axed. Brooks must be arrested. David Camreon's government must resign, and the 2010 election must be annulled. What do you think?

Fri, 2011-07-08 19:23 — J Hill (not verified)

Ms Brooks is clearly a piece of work. Hard as nails obviously, and one would assume utterly amoral, and prepared to protect herself ahead of the fate of hundreds of other journalists. What happens when the cops come for her and James Murdoch, which is probably only hours away?

Fri, 2011-07-08 19:31 — matthew fox (not verified)

Brooks needs to get out of the predictions business.

Fri, 2011-07-08 19:42 — Neuroskeptic (not verified)

Ha ha ha.

Ahahaha ha.

Fri, 2011-07-08 19:53 — Freeman2

'the resistence' Duncan?

Fri, 2011-07-08 19:58 — dave (not verified)

"The Guardian deserves its moment in the Sun."

ha ha very good , I like it

Fri, 2011-07-08 20:43 — JohnRuddy

She also stormed into the Independents office a year ago when they had a go at Murdoch...

Fri, 2011-07-08 21:13 — S Moore (not verified)

Great day for British Gas to announce vast price increases, not that I'm being cynical or anything but its happy coincidence for British Gas that they should choose today to hike up gas and electric prices while everyone's looking the other way.........

Fri, 2011-07-08 22:38 — Freeman2

Except 'everyone' Isn't looking the other way and we all saw what happened. How many more people are going to give us the 'good day to bury' guff apparently thinking they're the first person to say it? More people are interested in gas prices than are interested in phone hacking.

Fri, 2011-07-08 22:44 — James Haddock (not verified)

Though a liberal at heart I prefer my news crisp and hard-nosed from the pages The Telegraph, and am certainly not a 'Guardianista' of any shape. But I conceed, what a newspaper; to have the nerve, and indeed verve, to fight injustice at NewsCorp certainly wins my respect. Truly a guardian of the truth in a forest of liars, connivers and bullies.

Additonally, if that horrible ginger shriek of a woman's (I say this as self-professed carrot-top) head doesn't roll, along with the duplicitous David Cameron's, I'm going on strike!

Fri, 2011-07-08 22:47 — TimBuckII (not verified)

One can only hope that Rebekah Brooks will experience as many horrendous days and sleepless nights as the Dowlers -- and that her misery will never, ever be over.

There is no level of hell severe enough for these Murdoch sociopaths.

Fri, 2011-07-08 22:48 — sally (not verified)

She really is a piece of work isn’t she? Talk about delusions of grandeur.

"Alan Rusbridger on his knees, begging for mercy”

She has not got an ounce of integrity, or morality. Typical right wing hypocrite. “We support our brave boys in the army” well, until they get killed and then hack their phones to steal their private lives.

It is delicious that they got caught fucking over the very people who believed in them.

Fri, 2011-07-15 13:55 — Mike McNutt (not verified)

Well said Chris "Not in Merseyside it won't Rob" The people of Britain should put the S*n on notice' we shall decide who governs Britain, thank you. Well done too to Ed Milliband, the first party leader to stand up to Murdoch et al! A little late, but he had the balls!

Fri, 2011-07-08 23:48 — Attrition47

I'll have a schadenfreude please, raw.

Fri, 2011-07-08 23:54 — Jamie (not verified)

Perhaps Rusbridger should resume their work pursuing immoral private equity funds, overpaid executives and corporate tax dodgers/tax haven users.

Not far to look.

Sat, 2011-07-09 01:08 — Graeme Hancocks (not verified)

Yes, well done the G. I have sometimes found it irritating and condescending but this was brilliant and courageous journalism. Also Tom Watson MP.

The Brooks woman? Well what can you say. Personally I think she should dragged throuhg London by her red hair and citizens allowed to pelt her with rubbish and shit - which is mostly what the News ot the Screws has spewed out over the last 160 ood years. I am not the elast bit sad that this dreadful "newspaper" has folded. I have known people who it has destroyed in the past - henious crimes like being a gay vicar! Good riddance to bad rubbish - the world is a better palce without it. Unfortunately we will have the the sunonsunday or some other shit.