Phone hacking

I could write a great deal about phone hacking, but will not for fear of my blood pressure.

Let me just say that concentrating on News International is wrong, as the Guardian well knows.

But I will express astonishment at the news that Gordon Brown believes that his mobile phone was hacked whilst he was in Government.

Firstly, there should be a clarification. The reports state that the reporters were doing - and paying someone to do - was simply log into people's voicemail using the default codes. When a voicemail account gets set up, it is given a default access code. It is up to the individual user to change the access code when they receive the phone.

If you use your voicemail - or believe that anyone will leave anything interesting on it - then you should change the code. Some users even disable the code, meaning that anyone who has your phone number can access the voicemail.

We had a Chancellor and PM who could not even perform this simplest of security measures. Who also was magically unaware that people in his closest circle - including some in his office - were smearing members of the opposition.

The man really is incompetent.