Sometimes in scandals, it is pertinent to look for what is not being talked about. Amid all the accusations of politicisation being thrown by Conservative politicians, not least London’s esteemed Mayor, one thing seems to have gone unnoticed.

Which Conservative politicians were phone hacked?

I cannot think of one –  though this would suggest that Tories have also been phone hacked.

Labour MPs that were victims of hacking seem to have been informed. Some of those who have, such as John Prescott, have been campaigning on the issue since, and particularly strongly, given that these are not private citizens (who it would be reprehensible to hack), but citizens with electoral mandates from many tens of thousands of people. If you voted for one of those MPs, this is as much a slight against your vote as it is against that MPs person.

One would have expected Conservative MPs, damaged in their duty to represent their constituents where confidentiality is required in their affairs, to have also kicked up a stink. There are currently 206 Conservative MPs, many of whom enjoy a quite welcome reputation for being relatively independent of mind.

If they have been hacked, it is their duty to protect the interests of their constituents and speak out – not to ignore their interests in order to protect Murdoch and co.

To his credit as a local MP, Soham’s representative in the Chamber, James Paice MP, has now spoken out. But he had also not been hacked. Thus far to my mind not a single Tory MP has publicly complained of being hacked.

Isn’t that funny?

Two supplementaries arise from this curiosity.

1)

• Have Conservative MPs been made subject to Parliamentary discipline of some kind over the issue?




• If so, why is David Cameron protecting News International against the constituents of his MPs?

2)

• If this is not so, why won’t Tory MPs that have been hacked speak out, on behalf of their constituents?