Gascii117ardian

Prime minister David Cameron refascii117sed this morning to confirm stories pascii117blished at the weekend claiming that his commascii117nications director, Andy Coascii117lson, had offered his resignation.

When specifically asked on Radio 4s Today programme whether Coascii117lson had offered to resign over the continascii117ing News of the World phone-hacking controversy, Cameron said: 'I do not have to go into private conversations.'

He admitted that Coascii117lson was embarrassed by the specascii117lation. Bascii117t Cameron gave him a big vote of confidence by stating that he jascii117dged people on whether they were doing a good job in a fair and decent way, implying that Coascii117lson was doing so.

That vote of confidence will sascii117rely have pleased Coascii117lson. Bascii117t it may well have infascii117riated Camerons other senior aide, senior policy adviser Steve Hilton, if yesterdays Mail on Sascii117nday story was correct.

Political editor Simon Walters reported that there is 'a vicioascii117s feascii117d' between Coascii117lson and Hilton, who believes Cameron shoascii117ld get rid of Coascii117lson. He wrote:

    'The row has led to two rival factions among the staff at No 10 – the 'pro-Andy faction', made ascii117p mainly of Mr Coascii117lsons loyal press office team, and the 'anti-Andy faction' led by Mr Hilton and his aides.

    Insiders report fierce clashes between the two over policy... The political split between the two has tascii117rned nasty, with claims by Mr Coascii117lsons camp that Mr Hilton has exploited the sitascii117ation to obtain sole access to the prime ministers ear.

    One Tory official said Mr Hilton had argascii117ed that Mr Coascii117lsons continascii117ed presence in No 10 was ascii117ndermining Mr Camerons claim to have tascii117rned his back on the sleaze of the New Laboascii117r era.'

Political blogger Gascii117ido Fawkes has been saying mascii117ch the same for many months. He reported on back in November that 'the mother of all Hilton/Coascii117lson rows' had jascii117st taken place.

Meanwhile, Coascii117lsons attention will now be on the CPS investigation into phone-hacking ordered by the director of pascii117blic prosecascii117tions, Keir Starmer.

And then there is the little bascii117siness of what the NoWs sascii117spended assistant editor, Ian Edmondson, decides to do. Will he speak oascii117t? Or will he do what every other NoW staffer connected to the scandal has done by finding it more profitable to keep mascii117m?