David Blunkett 'secretly accepted pay-off'

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Source: The Independent

Former Home Secretary's 'substantial' cash award followed phone-hacking

The former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett has accepted a "substantial" pay-off in a secret deal after his mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World. Mr Blunkett came to the agreement in May, soon after News International reached a similar agreement with the actress Sienna Miller, for the hacking of his phone when he was at the Home Office, between 2001 and 2004.

Mr Blunkett was forced to resign as Home Secretary after the News of the World revealed he was having an affair with a married woman, Kimberly Fortier, amid suggestions that he had used his position to speed up a visa application for her nanny.

It has long been rumoured that Blunkett was targeted during his time as Home Secretary, a position which brings particular concerns about privacy and security, but nothing has been admitted. In March last year, Gordon Brown asked his cabinet secretary, Gus O'Donnell, to look into the possibility of launching a judicial inquiry into phone-hacking. One reason given for discouraging the idea was the scant likelihood of finding more evidence than the police had.


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His fellow Labour MP Tom Watson said yesterday: "It is extremely disappointing that David Blunkett, as both an MP and a former home secretary, would choose to do a secret deal rather than give comfort to victims who don't have his power to come forward at the time Parliament was chipping away at this scandal.



Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/david-blunkett-secretly-accepted-payoff-6275514.html

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David Blunkett in secret NI payout over phone-hacking claims
Ex-home secretary believed to have shared in £300,000 payout over allegations his phone was hacked by News of the World
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/dec/10/david-blunkett-ni-phone-hacking-claims?INTCMP=SRCH

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1. What does it take to get the Murdoch's arrested?

People are dropping like flies. Their corruption is no longer a suspicion. Where there's smoke there's fire and there's LOT of smoke.