Given that the Culture Select Committee report into phonehacking is months overdue, Guido has popped along to their press conference to ask whether the Committee had any objections to one of their members – Tom Watson – publishing his own version of events last week for commercial gain.

Guido wonders whether any of the Select Committee raised objections to Watson publishing his weighty tome “Dial M for Murdoch” before today’s report was finalised, and what assurances the Chairman had sought that Watson would not take advantage of his privileged access to the Committee, especially as the conclusions of the report – that News International executives mislead parliament – is revealed on Page 312 of the book. Answers to follow, hopefully…

UPDATE:

So Tom Watson didnt want to answer why on page 312 of his book he revealed the committee would find that News Int execs had misled parli

— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) May 1, 2012

Guido seems to have hit a nerve, instead of replying, Watson went on the attack. The Chairman said most of the infomation was public, but that does not explain Watson revealing that the Committee would rule NI mislead Parliament. It makes a mockery of Parliament as Christ Bryant might say…