How will Andy Coulson do?

Recruiting Andy Coulson was a coup for David Cameron, as a former tabloid editor Coulson is the most senior figure yet to make the jump from Fleet Street to Westminster. But how easy will he find it?

In today's Guardian Ian Cobain reviews Andy Coulson's career. In his time at the News of the World he did not shy away from attacking the Conservatives. Here's what he wrote about Boris Johnson:

"For a posh bloke who went to Eton he has an uncanny, popular touch. He also has an uncanny habit of cheating on his wife."

And on George Osborne:

"Osborne ... has now owned up to his encounters with a cocaine-snorting call-girl ... like Cameron, the frontbench MP won't be drawn on whether he has taken drugs himself. But remember, politicians make the laws. That's why we have the right to ask about their backgrounds - especially when they aspire to run our country."

But being nasty about the Tory party is far easier than getting other people to be nice about it. Will Coulson's lack of political experience be a problem? Cobain quotes a friend of Coulson:

"He's very bright, he learns very quickly, he's very witty and very likeable. He may be in danger of saying the wrong thing early on, but he's smart, so he'll probably stay in the background for a while, learning the job."

Coulson is intelligent. He had a reputation at Wapping for being a safe pair of hands. And though he has no political experience he has good relationship with some of the most important people in the British media - Sun Editor Rebekah Wade is a close friend and Rupert Murdoch a former boss.

But there is more to the media than News International. Coulson will quickly have to turn his attention to the Telegraph, the Daily Mail - whose editor Paul Dacre is said to be an admirer of Gordon Brown - and the vital BBC.

David Cameron wants Coulson to make "a formidable contribution" and to help build "the most effective strategy and operation to win the next general election". Let's hope he does.

Andrew Burkinshaw 

Comments

[Jack Stone]

For god sake lets give the guy a chance and not use his appointment which some are doing to attack David Cameron.

[Andrew Woodman]

From what I can gather, the lack of TV experience in the communications team could be a potential problem. Will be interesting how he deals with that, and whether he brings in someone with that experience. Anyone who controls media output better than we've had for the last 3 weeks has got to be worth it.

[Tam Large]

Cameron needs non-Blair conservative policies - not another media spin-doctor...

This appointment is anothe symptom of the malaise which is afflicting the party. Voters are sick of spin and want SUBSTANCE - not more empty puff.

[simon]

I wonder what will be on page 3 of the next manifesto?!?

[ACT]

Today's Tory party hires a man who bugged the phones of members of the royal family. "Cameron's Conservatives" indeed.

[Uda]

IMHO you should change the name of this site to Conservativemoan. It's become a real bore - hardly anybody has anything constructive to say.

[richard]

Doesn't inspire confidece but then what can one expect with Dave's lot.

[Traditional Tory]

Osborne ... has now owned up to his encounters with a cocaine-snorting call-girl

I remember the pic of a spaced-out looking Osborne draped over that sleazy female but I thought he claimed those little piles of white powder on the table in front of them were oofle dust?

Gordon Brown has stated, unequivocally, that he has never taken hard drugs. Why can't we have the same reassuring statement from Beavis and Butt-head?

Let's get the new boy on that job.

[Dave Bartlett]

@ACT
"Today's Tory party hires a man who bugged the phones of members of the royal family"

As I understand it, there was no 'bugging', the News of the World royal correspondent listened to the voicemail of some royal servants who had not changed the default password on their (vodafone? orange?) mobile phone accounts.

[Dave Bartlett]

Drifting off topic, every picture I seee of Gordon Brown these days, in Murdoch papers, in left wing papers, in right wing papers, shows him smiling. How on earth did Labour/Brown manage to orchestrate that?

[Paul Kennedy]

As with any employee, tangible performance objectives and targets have to be set and they are then judged against those, and of course the more they are paid the higher those demands should be.

[HF]

yesterday ConHome said "the new Director of Communications for the Conservative Party from 9th July. He will work with George Eustice, 'the Leader's Press Secretary (Henry Macrory is Head of the Press Office']."
Are these gentlemen reporting to Coulson?

If not then that is an unstable chain of command.

[Cynical Voter]

How on earth did Labour/Brown manage to orchestrate that?

Brown Smiley

[ACT]

@Dave Bartlett - as the court case all too clearly showed, 'bugged', or, 'gained unlawful & unauthorised access' to the private communications of other people was what was at stake. It's why jail time is being done. It's why Coulson lost his job. And it's why News International are going to lose the unfair dismissal case currently against them (ie their stance that Coulson was in the dark about what his star reporter - whom he was dependent upon for front pages - is patently absurd). Coulson knew and approved. Coulson is Cameron's choice to be our chief spin doctor. Call me old fashioned, but I don't want the Tory line spun by a man who bugged the phones of members of the royal family. If we're not for the Monarchy, what exactly are we for?

[Jack Stone]

I would like to know why the editor of this site allows a downright libel to be posted on his site which as been done above.
It as been proved that Andy Coulson knew nothing of the crimes his royal correspondant was jailed for and had no part in them.
If your going to attack someone than attack them for something they have done not something they haven`t.
This may not be a newspaper and may be the web but I think people really should be subject to the same laws of libel here as they are anywhere else.

[ACT]

It's actually rather closer to be being 'libel' when you accuse someone of one where none has taken place. Andy Coulson was editor of the NotW. His *star* reporter was crucial to him because, as editor of a *Sunday* newspaper, he got just that one chance a week to make a splash. Coulson didn't know what his star reporter who got him his front page splashes was doing? Try telling that to Peter Oborne in the Mail today who rather neatly takes apart this absurd claim. Somehow I don't think Coulson will be throwing any writs around before the breach of contract case against News International. And after that? Well, I doubt if Coulson will be doing much at all. It certainly beggars belief that Cameron will stick with him then.

[Chris]

ACT,
The actions carried out by the reporter are not admirable by any means, but were very different from actually bugging the phones. Coulson was deemed not to know about Goodman's actions, it is indeed libel to suggest otherwise.

Also I don't understand how hiring Coulson means we no longer support the monarchy, we have MPs within our ranks who have been unfaithful, does the Conservative party now support adultery?

[ACT]

Chris, I don't know how to put this any more gently to you: the reporter who 'obtained' the 'information' he did, did so in a manner sufficiently illegal so as to have a judge send him to prison. I follow these things pretty closely, and outside of national security issues, I cannot remember the last time a hack was jailed. Judges (and the government) are ordinarily terrified of seeing this happen. Coulson accepted the blame, but seemingly (so the weird Cameroon defence of him goes), he wasn't at fault, but it was some sort of noble, sub-Carrington over the Falklands routine.

I repeat: it is only remotely possible to libel Coulson if Coulson didn't know what was *his* reporter was doing to get the stories Coulson so keenly printed on his front page. Coulson knew. And this will soon enough be demonstrated again. The Mail, Telegraph and Guardian have all accused Coulson of knowing, and oddly enough, each one of them has failed to get a writ. I don't think Stefan has to lose sleep yet.

One other thing about those stories deterimental to the monarchy incidentally - please try and bear in mind why Coulson was so keen to run them on the Screws' front page. Because he was personally quite content to follow Murdoch's agenda and knock the roal family. This should never be something any sort of Tory should want to do. But Cameron's happy enough to employ such a man.

[Chris]

ACT,
I agree that the actions of the reporter were unacceptable, but there is still a chance that Coulson didn't know, and most people would deem that reasonable doubt and no convict him. I agree that Coulson's story is unlikely, but it's still perfectly possible.

Of course Coulson abided by Murdoch's wishes, we all do things on behalf of our employer that we might disagree with. My father has worked on bids for government projects he personally wishes were not in existence, but he still does so, because it's his job. Coulson has a good media mind, and will use it to promote his new employers agenda.

[ACT]

Chris, I entirely accept your points, and the spirit in which they have been made - including the implicit rebuke that I have been too testy, which I undoubtedly have been. It's just that I'd quite like politics to be a vocation, and not just full of well paid people whose best defence for their past actions is that they were 'only following orders'. Coulson's not the sort of person I'd like to see working for the Party I support. I suppose I could follow orders from on high and shut up, but why? It's hardly as if On High has shown itself to be infallible.

[Chris]

ACT, No worries, we all get caught up a bit too much in these debates from time to time.

Unfortunately, our media operation has been falling apart and we need an experienced media type to make it all work. Sadly the only people with the type of experience we need are innevitably unscrupolous ex-journalists with few personal convictions. It'd be nice if we could have a forward thinking Tory PR guru, but as the past few months have shown they simply don't exist :-(

[ToMTom]

but there is still a chance that Coulson didn't know,

Poor boy - fired because he didn't understand his trade. Andrew Pierce in The Telegraph seems to think otherwise

Coulson, who I know and like, was an outstanding tabloid editor. He was brought down by the illegal bugging of telephones, commonplace among the red tops,

[Curiosity]

It as been proved that Andy Coulson knew nothing of the crimes his royal correspondant was jailed for

Er...how do you do that Jacko ? How do you prove he knew nothing about something ?

Can you explain this feat of logic ?

[tapestry]

It is likely that all political journalists tap phones and use private detective methods to get stories.

[Chris Ryder]

As a voter my view is as long as he doesn't end up as the next Alastair Campbell type figure to Cameron on number ten's sofa then maybe, just maybe, we and I mean us voters won't have to sit in horror and watch another ten years of utter waste unfold being governed by media headline 'in other words total crap', which if allowed to, will be nothing more than a carbon copy of Labour's miserable antics to date, because believe me the Tories will find itself in far bigger poo poo than your witnessing from these last few weeks when tested by me and others at the election polls who will if your proven to be fraudsters will take great pleasure in the kill!, so you Tories need seriously to learn that showman politics is on its final death bed with voters like me as we now wave goodbye and frankly good riddance to the all smiling no subtance Tony the used car saleman, so my message to your party 'high command' if its willing at all to listen to such a low order minion as myself, is to stop fiddling with image set your own agenda for government that listens to the people and dare I say it try opposing those bunch of clowns in power (well so they think) as you are presently the holder of the title 'Her Majesty's official opposition', so then study the meaning of your title carefully and what it means then let up on trying to rework the Blair years.. is that clear enough now??

[ACT]

Chris, some of us think that the 'Her Majestie's' bit of that title is quite important too, whether it's government or opposition. Hence our disgust that Cameron has turned to a man who delighted in sticking on the front page of the News of the World anti-Monarchy stories.

[sped]

"yesterday ConHome said "the new Director of Communications for the Conservative Party from 9th July. He will work with George Eustice, 'the Leader's Press Secretary (Henry Macrory is Head of the Press Office']."
Are these gentlemen reporting to Coulson?
If not then that is an unstable chain of command."

To be fair I think CH was just reporting the official statement from CCHQ. They won't say that these two have been demoted even though they clearly have been! A Director of Comms will clearly now order these tow about.