There are so many things to be cynical about. Currently I am questioning the motives of a certain News International senior figure handing herself in to the police to be arrested just before appearing before parliment. As I understand it this would not prevent the parliamentary commission from asking its questions, and receiving answers under parlimentary priveledge, the same system that allows MP's in parliament to discuss superinjunction cases. However, it would prevent the answers being revealed outside parliament and reported in the press. I am quite sure that this was not the reason for the decision to allow herself to be arrested. It could just as easily have been to avoid a knock on the door at 4 O'Clock in the morning for the serving of the arrest warrant.
It will however be interesting to see what the upshot of todays select committee interview is. The culture, media and sport committee is not necessarily the most aggressive, or the most erudite in parliament, and members of said committee are already reported to be suggesting that the public should not expect too much from this afternoon, and that it may all just be a bit of a damp squib. There is very little, in reality, that parliament can do in this case. Ms Brooks has already resigned and been arrested, and the Murdochs, father and son, are American citizens and don't have to answer to the British government if they don't want to.
It seems rather like a lot of hot air to limited effect, but given that this is happening at the same time as I start to enter nicotine withdrawal, I may not be the most rational viewpoint on this interesting issue....
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