Andy Coulson

You really shouldn't hand over the responsibility of editing whole newspapers (even tabloid ones) to people whose apprenticeship amounted to editing The Sun's 'Bizarre' page. Because the gaps in their knowledge and their reliance on the sensational but simplistic are always likely to end in catastrophe.

It was darkly amusing to witness Kelvin Mackenzie ranting about a 'socialist conspiracy' to Newsnight reporters. But then... go back 20 years: Elton John, larynxless dogs and rent boys (with bugger all evidence. Result: £1m fine and a very grovelling apology), and using the same sort of bravado and guesswork to conclude that the dead were pissed on at Hillsborough and headlining it 'THE TRUTH'*. It's really not that hard to see how News International - if The Guardian's findings really are true - got into this mess in the first place with gits like Mackenzie in charge during the 80s.

*Mackenzie has still never quite apologised properly for this.