The phone hacking scandal tests the ties that bind the coalition

Gosh, this phone hacking scandal is moving at a pace. Fresh from the wire comes news that even the government is reviewing its advertising contracts with the News of the World; signs that Jeremy Hunt won’t budge on the BSkyB deal; as well as further interventions by everyone from Ed Miliband to Boris Johnson.

Overarching all that, though, are the hardening differences of opinion between the Tories and the Lib Dems. The yellow half of the coalition is going further and further in pushing for both an enforced pause to the BSkyB deal and a judge-led inquiry into the whole mess. Both Lord Oakeshott and Simon Hughes have called for the former. Nick Clegg’s email to party members last night called for the latter, as did Chris Huhne on the Today Programme earlier. David Cameron is not yet conceding to either demand.

In this sallow period after the AV referendum, it is difficult to judge whether these divides are choreographed or not.