The announcement by News International that this Sunday’s News of the World will be the last does not alter the need for a full public inquiry into phone hacking and related matters.Indeed James Murdoch’s statement raises further questions about the conduct of senior figures at the company. We feel that the closure of a 168-year-old title, with the consequent loss of jobs, is a destructive act which actually underlines the need to get to the truth.Hacked Off will continue to press for a judge-led public inquiry, with full powers to establish:

• The extent of the use of illegal information-gathering methods by the press, directly and through intermediaries;
• The conduct of the Metropolitan Police Service in investigating these matters, and its relations with the press;
• The communication between press and politicians in relation to these matters;
• The conduct of the Press Complaints Commission and of the Information Commissioner, and of other relevant parties such as mobile telephone companies;
• The lessons to be learned from these events and actions to be taken to ensure they are not repeated.

We are currently preparing proposals on what should be the remit, the timing and the composition of a public inquiry.The Hacked Off campaign is committed to ensuring that the public find out the details and scale of illegal intrusion employed over a sustained period and that those responsible are exposed.For further information, please contact martin.moore@mediastandardstrust.org.