The get Murdoch bandwagon has run out of control

The News International bandwagon seems to be running out of control and has lost any semblance of links with reality.

The Met police commissioner has gone and an assistant commissioner has followed -although John Yates dismissal of the whole thing in his review was always going to put his judgement as a copper into question.

Former Commissioner Sir Ian Blair had much more cause to resign - shooting innocent Brazilian electricians for starters - but he hardly managed an apology which gives you an idea of how the News of the World investigation has grown out of all proportion to the crimes committed.

The reporter who blew the whistle on Andy Coulson is found dead and we have politicians and other newspapers falling over themselves to kick Rupert Murdoch while he is down.

Don't get me wrong, what News International was up to goes against everything journalism stands for and those responsible should be made to pay. Journalists are in a position of trust and those in charge at News International abused that trust.

But let us get it in perspective. We had the Butler inquiry, the Hutton Inquiry and the current Chilcot inquiry all relating to the war in Iraq. Not one of those inquiries compelled witnesses to give evidence under oath - the cynical might see that as an invitation to lie or at least be less than forthcoming with the truth. The Hutton inquiry, with no witness under oath or being cross examined, was even passed off as an inquest on Dr David Kelly, which is taking expedience to extraordinary lengths. The Tories have added to the conspiracy theories by backing that particularly disgraceful decision.

Tens of thousands died because of decisions on the Iraq war. The banking crisis has caused thousands to lose their jobs and made life more difficult and miserable for millions. The Euro crisis threatens our economy even though we are not in the Eurozone. We would struggle to defend the Falklands if Argentina were to attack tomorrow and yet politicians and the Press are obsessed with the News of the World with David Cameron calling for a judicial inquiry where witnesses would be under oath.

We can go to war with impunity and cause the deaths of tens of thousands and hundreds of our own troops and no one can be held to account but the Press - that really is serious stuff threatening the very foundations of mankind.

The only jobs to be lost - and the newspaper itself - were at the NotW, no one has been killed, although sadly the reporter who blew the whistle on Andy Coulson has been found dead, and the scandal can hardly be said to have had any real impact on the vast majority of people in Britain. Yet politicians are leaping up and down like a pack of demented Jack Russells at walkies' time.

They forget that it was politicians that relaxed rules on media ownership which has allowed the cancer of big business to spread its tentacles throughout the newspaper industry with a handful of firms now controlling most of the media. Murdoch had 40 per cent of national newspaper sales and, despite his bid for BSkyB being dropped, he still controls Sky, Britain's biggest broadcaster - it's just he doesn't take all the profit . . . yet.

It was politicians who gave new meaning to obsequious as they prostrated themselves before Murdoch and his acolytes. This was always a Faustian pact that would one day end in tears.

Ed Milliband, shouting a long way down from the moral high ground, is calling for Press regulation, selling off The Times and Sunday Times and chucking in anything else he can think off to score a few cheap points. The Times and Sunday Times lose money - prestige without profit - so finding a buyer with noble ideals is not an easy task Ed. The only people interested would be another big media group looking for a posh trophy title and more power or a rich megalomanic who wanted a powerful plaything - either way freedom of the Press would hardly be a driving factor.

Labour's denial of Murdoch though surely can have nothing to do with the fact News International switched its allegiance back to the Tories for the last election, sour grapes and all that. I don't seem to remember any Labour complaints about Mr Murdoch when he was backing Blair and his cronies and Labour were bending over backwards to accommodate his wishes.

The Tories too have old scores to settle with Murdoch. His empire turned against them when Blair offered the prospect of a more beneficial relationship for Murdoch's empire - what is best for Britain has never come into it.

And the national Press? They just like sticking it to one of their rivals. Meanwhile, in the real world, real issues are going unreported and ignored by Government.