London Mayor Boris Johnson showed "dire judgement" by dismissing phone hacking claims as "codswallop", according to Labour rival Ken Livingstone. Johnson had meals with News International executives at a time when he was trying to keep the lid on the story, rather than speaking truth to power. A spokesman for Johnson said police assured him that an initial inquiry into allegations was thorough and conclusive, but new serious allegations have since come to light, prompting fresh questions and a need for further investigation.

MP Steve Rotherham has called for people in Merseyside to boycott the News of the World after allegations that it hacked into the phones of families of dead soldiers. He pointed to the successful boycott of The Sun in Liverpool after the Hillsborough tragedy, where sales plummeted when the paper lied about fans' behavior. Rotherham believes that a similar boycott will be effective in showing anger towards Murdoch and the News of the World.

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson has vowed to discipline any officer found to have received "inappropriate" payments from News International. The company's documents, which allegedly show officers were paid tens of thousands of pounds, are being investigated. The allegations of phone hacking and payments to police by News of the World are considered "deplorable" and "unacceptable" by owner Rupert Murdoch.

The editor of the Times, James Harding, compares phone-hacking to the MPs' expenses scandal, suggesting it may lead to a national soul-searching about journalism's behavior, integrity, and morality. The hacking story has sparked questions about tabloid culture and its accountability, as some argue that the power of red-top newspapers comes without equivalent accountability. Critics claim that newspaper editors prioritize profit over principle, playing to readers' prejudices and owners' interests rather than seeking truth.