Further to Guido’s speculation earlier about whether Steve Hilton had passed information about Coulson, given to him by Alan Rusbridger, on to Cameron. Downing Street have confirmed this afternoon that Rusbridger discussed the hacking scandal “in general” at a breakfast with Hilton on 12th November 2009, and deputy editor and Mr Mumsnet Ian Katz called him on 25th February last year regarding an imminent story going to print.

This is hardly the specific warnings Rusbridger claims he gave, but it beggars-belief that Hilton would not mention it…

For once Sally Bercow hits the nail on the head:

http://twitter.com/#!/SallyBercow/status/89316180682211328

While Tom Baldwin was overheard pacing around Parliament earlier shouting the line, presumably to a press office minion or one of his old friends at News International, “Cameron has been consistently behind the curve… from the presser this morning, all day” down a phone, his boss was taking to the air. However when Ed Miliband was interviewed on Sky, Adam Boulton didn’t just want to talk about Cameron’s judgement, but Ed’s too. Especially in light of Lord Ashcroft’s curveball this morning.

Despite it being public knowledge that Tom Baldwin stands accused of using  a private detective to raid the Tory party’s bank accounts for a story in 1999, Ed claims he checked and was “satisfied he was the right person to be hired by me” and called Boulton’s line of questioning “desperate stuff”. Clearly flustered he demanded that Ashcroft put up the evidence, which he has already done in a 368 page book – “Dirty Politics Dirty Times“. Baldwin hasn’t challenged the facts contained in that book. It’s not just the media raising eyebrows, John Prescott told the Daily Politics today he “was a bit concerned” about Baldwin. Lots of people were “a bit concerned” with Andy Coulson, and look what happened to him. 

Heffer reviews “Ed”:

“A biography of Ed Miliband has to try hard not to be the sort of thing one buys as a present for someone one avidly dislikes. This effort… does not try hard enough.”

David Wooding is currently the News of the World’s political chief and associate editor. He has been publicly loyal to the Murdoch regime post the “End of the World“ and, just as importantly, loyal to Screws’ “blemish free“ journalists. Wooding has the pedigree for a senior job on the seventh day Sun, he was after all until last year the Whitehall Editor at The Sun, prior to that he was the news editor of the Sunday People after a spell as the Sun’s education correspondent and a news reporter. He has also worked at the Daily Star, Daily Express and Daily Mail – so no lack of experience.  Seen as a straight bat, he is untainted and as such Guido reckons he is the frontrunner for the new paper.

UPDATE:
http://twitter.com/#!/DavidWooding/status/89304612288475136

It has been claimed that Alan Rusbridger briefed Steve Hilton about unpublishable evidence regarding Coulson and dodgy connections. This apparently took place before he made the transfer to Downing Street. Cameron denied being given any evidence personally and said that he will look into what his advisor knew. For a media keen not to let the Dave connection to this scandal go, what Hilton did, or did not, say is crucial. 

There was no love lost between Hilton and Coulson, especially in the latter days. Are we seriously expected to believe that Hilton, in course of his power struggle with Coulson, didn’t offer up the dirt to Cameron?