British legislators have authorised a sweeping inquiry into illicit snooping on politicians and celebrities by tabloids, as one MP called for media tycoon Rupert Murdoch to testify over allegations one of his newspapers illegally hacked into mobile phones.
Tom Watson, a former cabinet office minister and opposition Labour party lawmaker, said Murdoch, the chief executive officer of News Corporation, should be asked to explain the actions of reporters and editors at the News of The World, a weekly tabloid owned by his company.
MPs agreed parliament's standards and privileges committee would hold hearings into claims that illegal methods to gather personal information on high-profile figures have been used throughout the British media.
Close to government
It follows new allegations aired about tactics used at the News of the World - claims that have brought into question the position of its ex-editor, Andy Coulson, who is Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director.
Coulson quit as editor in 2007 after his royal reporter and a private investigator were convicted of hacking phone voicemail messages left for royal officials, including some from princes William and Harry.
Watson told a House of Commons debate "the evidence of endemic abuse is growing by the day" and called for senior newspaper executives to testify to parliament.
"I doubt that Rupert Murdoch knows about these indiscretions, but he is responsible for appointing people to positions of great power who should, and for that reason he, too, should explain his actions to the committee," Watson said.
Watson said police and parliament had been too timid in tackling tabloid excess, or reprimanding executives.
Holier than thou
"They, the barons of the media with their red-topped assassins, are the biggest beasts in the modern jungle. They have no predators, they are untouchable, they laugh at the law, they sneer at parliament, they have the power to hurt us and they do with gusto and precision," he told MPs.
In a statement, the News of the World claimed the issue had become "intensely partisan".
"Amidst a swirl of untethered allegations, there should be no doubt that the News of the World will investigate any allegation of wrongdoing when presented with evidence," the newspaper said. "As we have always made clear, we have a zero-tolerance approach to wrongdoing and will take swift and decisive action if we have
proof."
Parliament's standards and privileges committee will meet on Tuesday next week to decide on the terms of its inquiry.
London police are considering whether to reopen their investigation into phone hacking after ex-News of The World
reporters claimed the use of illegal methods was far more widespread than previously established.
An article published in The New York Times quoted former reporter Sean Hoare as saying Coulson had been aware of the practice of phone hacking. Coulson denies any wrongdoing.
The Guardian on Thursday quoted another ex-journalist at the tabloid, Paul McMullan, as saying he had commissioned private investigators to commit hundreds of illegal acts on the newspaper's behalf and Coulson knew.
"How can Coulson possibly say he didn't know what was going on with the private investigators?" the paper quoted McMullan as saying.
Cameron's Downing Street office says the prime minister supports Coulson, who is continuing his duties as normal.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg urged police to proceed swiftly with any new inquiry.
"The most important thing of all is that the police now, since new allegations have been made, should look now as quickly and thoroughly as possible at these new allegations," he said.
