Rebekah Brooks should resign over hacking scandal, say British public

The majority of British people feel that News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks should resign following the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World, a new survey has revealed.

According to a poll conducted by Comres for ITV News, 82% of the public want to see Brooks step down after the newspaper she previously edited was shut down amid a torrent of shocking allegations about phone hacking.

Around half (49%) of those surveyed also felt that prime minister David Cameron has dealt with the scandal badly, and two thirds (68%) considered that he showed "poor judgement" in hiring Andy Coulson, after the former News of the World editor was arrested last Friday by police as part of the investigation into phone hacking,

There has been speculation that Brooks will be interviewed as a witness in the investigation, and even Cameron has suggested that it may be right for her to step down.

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However, News Corp chief executive Rupert Murdoch arrived in the UK yesterday to personally deal with the phone hacking scandal, and made no delay in announcing that protection of the embattled Brooks was his "first priority". Brooks is understood to have offered her resignation last week, but Murdoch rejected the move.

When it comes to ensuring justice is done in the scandal, 50% of those surveyed said that they do not trust any of the political party leaders to get the job done, despite the announcement of two inquiries into phone hacking.

Alleged police involvement in the phone hacking controversy has also led to concern that there is wider corruption in the police force, with 77% of people worried about this danger.

Three quarters of the public (72%) called on the coalition government to reconsider the decision to allow the takeover of pay-TV giant Sky by Murdoch, while just 8% disagreed.

However, the poll was conducted before today's announcement by culture secretary Jeremy Hunt that the takeover bid would be handed to the Competition Commission for a much lengthier probe.

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