Andy Coulson

Andrew Edward "Andy" Coulson (born 21 January 1968) is British journalist and political strategist. He is currently Director of Communications & Planning for the Conservative Party. He was editor of the tabloid newspaper the News of the World from 2003 to 2007.

Early life

He grew up in Wickford near Basildon in Essex. He attended Beauchamps Comprehensive School on Beauchamps Drive from 1979-86.

Career

He started work at 18 on the Basildon Echo in 1986. In 1988, he moved to The Sun, working with Piers Morgan on the Bizarre column. In 1994, he briefly moved to the Daily Mail, but after nine weeks moved back to The Sun to edit Bizarre. In 2001, in the run up to the general election, he asked Tony and Cherie Blair whether they were members of the mile high club. He became deputy editor of the News of the World in 2003, then replaced Rebekah Wade as editor in 2003. He resigned on 26 January 2007 over the royal phone-tapping scandal involving Clive Goodman. Coulson’s resignation in effect prevented a thorough investigation of the Goodman affair by the Press Complaints Commission, and ensured Murdoch would not have to answer difficult questions about the activities of his British newspapers at a time when he was under intense scrutiny in the US. He became Conservative Party Director of Communications on July 9, 2007. In 2008 an employment tribunal upheld a claim of bullying by Coulson whilst he was at the News of The World. Stratford employment tribunal upheld a claim of unfair dismissal claimed by senior sports writer Matt Driscoll and stated "We find the behaviour to have been a consistent pattern of bullying behaviour".^[1] The judgment singled out Coulson for making "bullying" remarks in an email to Driscoll.

On 7 July 2009 John Prescott called on David Cameron, the Tory leader, to axe Coulson, after the Guardian revealed fresh details about phone-hacking by the News of the World, the tabloid paper the spin doctor used to edit.^[2] Cameron though defended Coulson on the morning of 9 July: "I believe in giving people a second chance. As director of communications for the Conservatives he does an excellent job in a proper, upright way at all times."^[3]

On 21 July 2009 he faced the culture committee and denied any knowledge of the phone hacking scandal, saying "my instructions to the staff were clear - we did not use subterfuge of any kind unless there was a clear public interest in doing so. They were to work within the PCC code at all times".

On 23 November 2009, News of the World was told to pay out £800,000 to Matt Driscoll, a former sports reporter on the paper, on grounds of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. A tribunal found that Andy Coulson had led a campaign of bullying against the former employee.

Personal life

He married Eloise Patrick in December 2000 in Fulham, and they have two sons (born June 2001 and March 2002). They live in south London. He follows Tottenham Hotspur.

References

External links

• Telegraph article June 2007
• Independent article June 2007
• Observer profile June 2007
• Becoming Conservative communications chief
• Press Gazette February 2007
• Guardian profile January 2007