It will share the Soho offices used by Pitch, the sports PR agency Chappell founded and where he serves as chief executive. He said: “Unfortunately, continued coverage of events connected to my old job at the News of the World has made it difficult for me to give the 110 per cent needed in this role. What does a Biden presidency mean for US-UK relations? ", Pressed on the subject again by Mr Langdale, he repeated: "I did not broadcast it because that would have been crass but everybody knew. Andy Coulson, David Cameron’s former communications director who was sentenced to 18 months in jail over phone hacking at the News of the … Former deputy PM John Prescott tells Channel 4 News David Cameron should have acted sooner. “I don’t personalise this issue, but he had to go,” he told Channel 4 News. “Hiring Andy Coulson was a risk, but David clearly felt his abilities were worth it.”, Former Lib Dem MP for Montgomeryshire, Lembit Opik, who is considering legal action against News International because he believes his phone was hacked, said Mr Coulson’s resignation was “inevitable.”. Last modified on Thu 11 Aug 2016 05.51 EDT. However he added: “There was no evidence that Andy Coulson knew about the phone hacking and that remains the assurance he has given.”, The best and worst moments of Donald Trump’s presidency. Channel 4 News Political Correspondent Cathy Newman said that Mr Coulson had told the Prime Minister of his decision on Wednesday evening. According to Companies House records, the firm was set up in January, with Coulson one of two owners. Coulson looked up in the dock and exchanged stares with the witness, who has already admitted his part in hacking into the voicemails of celebrities. He said: “Mr Cameron maintains – that even against this background of controversy – that he still feel she should stay in the job. His arrest and subsequent conviction led some to question the prime minister’s judgment. The witness was further challenged on Coulson's reaction on hearing the voicemail. “I choose to judge him by the work he has done for me, for the Government, and for the country,” he said. The Prime Minister's media chief Andy Coulson has resigned after News of the World hacking allegations. Phone-tapping is a very serious allegation. All rights reserved. About a year later, he was arrested over phone-hacking allegations following his resignation from Downing Street in January 2011. It was originally given the name C and C Advisory Ltd but was changed soon after. Evans joined the News of the World in 2005 after he was poached from the Sunday Mirror. His words were echoed by former deputy prime minister John Prescott, who claims his phone was among those hacked. John Prescott. Is that truthful evidence? He said: “The big issue here is David Cameron’s judgement. I want to go down my life on the right path. But on the other hand it has become apparent that the News of the World phone hacking is going to keep running in the headlines, making it difficult for him to do his job.”. Coulson then became the Conservative party’s director of communications. Former News International chief executive, Andy Coulson and six others will appear in court at end of October, Available for everyone, funded by readers, Journalists said to be shocked as ex-News of the World editor jailed over phone hacking gets job to promote truthfulness of papers, Ex-News of the World editor visits paper’s editorial conference, weeks after visit by his former employer. It is true.". Menu Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson stared out from the dock as a former employee told the hacking trial his old boss knew "exactly what was going on on his watch". What could Trump do in next 76 days – and is he a ‘flight risk’? Speaking to Channel 4 News he questioned why Mr Cameron appointed Andy Coulson in the first place. Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson stared out from the dock as a former employee told the hacking trial his old boss knew "exactly what was going on on his watch". He was charged with conspiracy to illegally intercept communications and, in 2014, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, eventually serving just under five. The former News of the World editor will be working alongside Pitch PR founder Henry Chappell. Seven defendants, including former Sun and NotW editor Rebekah Brooks, deny all the charges against them. It is one thing to employ Coulson in opposition – it is quite another to continue to employ in power when he’s on the taxpayers payroll.”, He added that the resignation of Mr Coulson would “compound what has already damaged his reputation.”. ", Evans replied: "That is not correct, sir, even though I can imagine why you would want people to think that. “That’s a reflection on his judgement in my view.”, That’s a reflection on [David Cameron’s] judgement in my view. But the bid failed and in August last year, Evans signed up to an agreement to give police a full briefing on his involvement in hacking, enter guilty pleas, and agree to give evidence in court if needed. The exact word may be paraphrasing. Having joined the paper in 2000, he was made editor in 2003, and then Mr Coulson stepped down as editor of News of the World in January 2007 over the phone-hacking scandal when royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed. Mr Bryant is currently seeking a judicial review to force public disclosure of the names of the 3,000 or so people whose telephone messages were allegedly intercepted by the News of the World. Following the 2010 general election, he was appointed to the same job in Downing Street by Cameron, the incoming prime minister. “He’s now done the right thing, but he should have done it earlier. ", Mr Langdale said: "You have got a bit of a habit of doing that.". Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World who was jailed following the phone-hacking scandal, has been hired to do PR for the Telegraph Media Group (TMG). Coulson Chapell promises its clients “discreet corporate strategy and communications advice”. As negotiations continued for immunity, Evans told solicitors that he had hacked the phones of Cilla Black, racing driver Jenson Button and at least one other, the court heard.