Talk about bad PR for the British prime minister:

You already have his former communications director (who used to be an editor at the News of the World) arrested. Now this: (emp add)

David Cameron defends decision to hire Andy Coulson

Guardian passed information on NoW's links to detective facing murder charge to Cameron aide before general election

David Cameron was forced to explain on Friday why No 10 ignored a warning before the general election that his communications chief, Andy Coulson, had employed a freelance private detective with a long track record of corruption who was at the time facing a murder charge.

The Guardian disclosed that it had passed to a senior Cameron aide information about the News of the World's links to the detective, Jonathan Rees, which could not at the time be reported because Rees was awaiting trial for an axe murder.

Turns out that "The trial later collapsed" and this was a peripheral character, but still, what a mess.


posted by Quiddity at 7/09/2011 10:33:00 PM