This story just keeps speeding up. Paul Stephenson, the commissioner of the Met, has now
resigned because of his links to Neil Wallis.
Wallis is the former News of the World journalist arrested recently as part of the investigation into phone-hacking; he was hired by the Met to offer media advice from autumn 2009 to 2010. The New York Times today claims that Wallis was reporting back to News International during this time.
Boris Johnson and the Home Secretary will now have to agree on a replacement for Stephenson. Given what we have learnt about the Met in recent days, I suspect it will be an outsider. Bernard Hogan-Howe, the former chief constable of Merseyside who was a finalist when Stepehnson was appointed, will, I expect, be the early favourite. He would also be the best choice for the job.
PS: I’d be very surprised if Sir Hugh Orde, whose name is being mentioned by some. was
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