Phone Hacking:MP John has close links with News International

John Whittingdale, the head of the parliamentary committee that will next week grill Rupert Murdoch over the News of the World phone hacking scandal, has been accused of close links with News International. The Conservative MP has admitted he is an old friend of Les Hinton, a close aide of Mr.Murdoch's who resigned hours after Rebekah Brooks on Friday.  He said he dined with Mrs. Brooks and met Elisabeth Murdoch, Mr. Murdoch's daughter, and denied that they were friends. There is no suggestion of impropriety by Mr.Whittingdale but the news will emphasize the public sense that senior politicians were overly close to News International. The MP for Maldon told to a newspaper that he has only met Elisabeth Murdoch a couple of times. He knows Les for about 10 years and has dined with Rebekah once or twice. Mr. Whittingdale is understood to have been invited to Mr.Hinton's 2009 wedding to Kath Raymond, an advisor to Gordon Brown, but declined because his committee was still investigating News International. A source on the committee said Mr. Murdoch would not hold back when Mr. Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks appear before him on Tuesday. One of the newspaper also reported that in 2007 Mr. Whittingdale secured 3,000 pounds forhis local cricket club by asking for sponsorship from sky, which is partly owned by Mr. Murdoch. The allegations came into limelight when Sir Paul Stephenson, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, had hired Neil Wallis, a former deputy editor of News of th World, as a PR Consultant. Mr. Wallis was arrested on Thursday by detectives investigating allegations of phone hacking and Sir Paul will face questions from the Home Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday. Downing Street also admitted that David Cameron had invited Andy Coulson to chequers in March of this year. At Prime Minister's questions, Mr. Cameron sought to distance himself from his Former Communications Director, saying he should face prosecution if it was found he had any knowledge of the alleged law breaking. Reported by        AR