The man who sent that now infamous tweet on the morning of the Newsnight McAlpine report has resigned from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Their Managing Editor Iain Overton’s name no longer appears on the BIJ website. Another stunning success for the operation that before this had revealed that Bell Pottinger broke Wikipedia’s terms of use and smeared Help for Heroes. Supporters are running for the hills…

UPDATE:

Iain Overton has told friends that he had no editorial control over Newsnight McAlpine film and deeply regrets ceding his responsibilities—
Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) November 12, 2012

Nicely forgetting the fact that he didn’t show Steve Messham a picture of Lord McAlpine and that it was his misjudged and premature tweet that started this whole sorry mess.

Sally Bercow has apologised for naming Lord McAlpine on twitter last week. She’s now expecting a lawyer’s letter:

“Yes, I have apologised for McAlpine tweet. In which I noted that his name was trending (which, at the time, it was). I was irresponsible. I have not heard from McAlpine’s lawyers. Tho’ I may do. As may thousands of Twitter users, some of whom tweeted far worse. Very sorry. Was irresponsible & mischievous. Libellous? I don’t think so. But we’ll have to see…”

McAlpine’s team is reportedly scouring the internet for any mention of his name. A certain Guardian journalist should be feeling nervous…

Last night confirmed what ITV had pinned their hopes on and what we all already knew: Nads is box office. From the moment a grinning Dec uttered “Good evening, Prime Minister” to the camera, it was clear this year’s I’m a Celeb was going to be the Nadine show. Not exactly patching things up with the PM following Schofe-gate.

Arrogant posh boy Hugo of Made in Chelsea fame was, naturally, the first to express animosity towards the absent MP. Did he go to Eton, by any chance? Having endured “one of the worst nights of my life”, Nadine innocently asked darts legend Eric Bristow about his politics. “I don’t vote for any of you, you’re all liars. I like Cameron though, he’s alright”. Bet Dave loved that.

And so, with the subtly of a David Haye right hook, we approached the first bushtucker trial. “Nadine, it might be you”, Ant teased. Of course it was her. This evening the Member for Mid Bedfordshire will endure a Bug Burial with bikini-clad blonde Helen Flanagan. Nadine is a vote winner…

The BBC Head of News has smelt the coffee is morning. Helen Boaden has stepped aside too.

She could still get her day in court yet though.

Meanwhile David Dimbleby has launched his campaign to be DG on the Today programmme.

I'm a Celeb-Tory packed column today + castrating Balls and Huhne cashing in. Only in your reassuringly expensive #dailystarsunday. Just 90p—
Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) November 11, 2012

Who is Nadine’s biggest fan?

Who is else is off earning elsewhere?

Who was talked out of going to the jungle?

Who got their government job thanks to I’m a Celeb?

To find out all this and more, you better go get your copy of the Daily Star Sunday.

Statement from Jeremy Paxman:

“George Entwistle’s departure is a great shame. He has been brought low by cowards and incompetents.

The real problem here is the BBC’s decision, in the wake of the Hutton Inquiry, to play safe by appointing biddable people.

They then compounded the problem by enforcing a series of cuts on programme budgets, while bloating the management

That is how you arrive at the current mess on Newsnight. I very much doubt the problem is unique to that programme.

I had hoped that George might stay to sort this out.It is a great pity that a talented man has been sacrificed. While time-servers prosper.

I shall not be issuing any further statements or doing any interviews.”

Right, so who is next for the chop?

This week a massive 232,912 visitors visited 504,472 times viewing 870,098 pages. The top stories in order of popularity were:

• Schofield Revealed Alleged Tory Paedo List On Screen
• Watson Poised to Criticise Hague’s Abuse Inquiry Cover-Up
• WATCH: Redacted Video of Schofield Alleged Paedo Blunder
• Nadine Dorries, I Presume… 
• Vote Lee Jasper: The Ambient Musical Experience
• Labour’s Celebrity Parliament Dodger 
• Hague’s Taxpayer Funded Snake Stuffing

You’re either in front of Guido, or behind…

It seems the US election was just the beginning of the fight for the Heritage Foundation:

Farage is part of the front-line fightback…

Via @JohnRentoul

Campaigning Tory MP Rob Wilson has written to Tom Watson cautioning him to substantiate allegations before making them public:

Watson is always banging on about not getting replies. Lets see how he deals with this one…

Pic via Mail.