Truth & reconciliation committee needed?

In using the above phrase, in no way am I likening #Hackgate and the behaviour of our media to the system of apartheid in South Africa.

The process however might be the only way to get to the bottom of this whole fiasco.

I listened to @tom_watson last night at a fundraising dinner and was instantly struck by the need to get #hackgate resolved.

There will be a stream of ex-journalists and private investigators arrested and charged in the weeks and months to come as #levenson enquiry digs and digs and digs.

The light of truth (not to be confused with the rope of truth) will shine into the murkiest corners of the activities of some of the media.

The Fallout will be far-reaching and will take years to resolve, at huge expense I am sure.

Should we then draw a line under this mess and have an amnesty to get the truth and scale of what wa going on?  Maybe, but there are still a few players who need to be dealt with before then.

Andy Coulson, it is alleged, brought phone hacking to the #NOTW, he should at least face the music.  Many more will be stuck in the dock beside him and rightly so.

Milly Dowler, the McCanns and countless others need to see and feel justice being done.

But then what?

If people fear that they will be punished, they’ll keep schtumm and we’ll never know the full extent.  The press is being exposed as having run amok with no regard for privacy or decency and now they are needing to pay the piper.

Now we have the national security implications of Peter Hain having his computer hacked by journalists and the whole game has ramped up a level.

The key actors will need to be punished before we will be ready to let this move on.  After that a committee might be the best option.

A no-prosecution amnesty and fulsome apology with cash might be sufficient for the foot soldier types.  The generals behind this will need to face the full force of the law.

Coulson, brooks and Murdoch (either or both) need to be brought to book.  They have been seen to be less than forthright in their responses

And that brings me neatly to the Prime minister, ‘He didn’t ask and didn’t know’, when this is scotched and exposed as the least credible statement on the matter, he will need to go.  He is covered from head to foot in the mess that is News International and sooner rather than later he’ll be held accountable.

Misleading the house is a serious issue.

Not as serious as perverting the course of justice, invasion of privacy, harassment, and the many, many others.

But enough to be a resigning matter. ( I hope so.)