Sun on Sunday

News International have taken dramatic action by closing down the News of the World, the newspaper I remember my father loved to read alongside the Sunday Times and the Observer. This was a long time before Murdoch bought the News of the World since until that time it had been owned by the Carr family which also owned Walton Heath Golf Club. One feels sorry for those working for the News of the World who have done nothing wrong although I imagine that they will be re-employed by the Sun on Sunday, at least I hope so. The other drama thought to be about to unfold, although at the moment it is said to be only a rumour, is that Andy Coulson is to be arrested later today - presumably for authorising payments to coppers for feeding information about arrests and the like. I doubt that the News of the World were alone in making these kinds of payments since it seemed to be an open secret that this kind of thing went on generally throughout Fleet Street. I hope this practice will now stop but I would not like to bet it will. The action of News International will no doubt take the pressure off David Cameron whose relationship with Murdoch and his senior staff has been roundly criticised by Peter Oborne in the Telegraph today although I suspect Cameron is going to have to explain in some detail about his relationship and if appropriate to apologise for his misjudgment in putting faith in those who have proved to be less than honest. Despite the fact that the proposed bid for BSkyB is a different issue from the News of the World scandal it is no doubt right from a political viewpoint to postpone until September a decision on whether or not to allow the bid. Cameron has the opportunity to change the way he operates from now on and I hope he takes it. He needs to concentrate on what his supporters want which means all those issues like the EU and the reform of the welfare state, the NHS, schools and the like.