It's been another hugely eventful day in the ongoing phone hacking saga, with a further high profile police resignation, the Parliamentary recess delayed, and rising pressure on David Cameron over his hiring of Andy Coulson.

The resignation of Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates was perhaps the day's most dramatic event, and follows the exit of Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson late on Sunday.

Yates had been accused of failings over the original investigation into phone hacking, and calls for him to go increased following claims of close links to former Deputy editor of the News of the World, Neil Wallis. Yates is believed to have resigned before he was suspended by the Met's Standards Committee, but in a statement tonight said that his conscience was clear and that he was resigning "with complete integrity".

Commenting on his resignation earlier, London Mayor Boris Johnson said it was "regrettable, but [that] the right call has been made."

The resignations of both Yates and Stephenson were seized on by the Opposition as examples of senior figures taking responsibility for their failings. Labour tried to contrast the police response with that of the Prime Minister, particularly over what they saw as his refusal to carry the can for his hiring of Andy Coulson, former editor of the NOTW, as director of communications.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said that it was "striking that Sir Paul Stephenson has taken responsibility and resigned over the employment of Mr Coulson’s deputy, while the Prime Minister hasn’t even apologised for hiring Coulson."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper joined the attack this afternoon, saying that "people will look at this and think it's one rule for the police and another for the prime minister."

Cooper was responding a statement by Home Secretary Theresa May, who sought to reassure the house that the transition at the Met following the resignations would be "orderly". She noted that Tim Godwin would serve as acting commissioner while Bernard Hogan-Howe is set to replace Godwin as acting deputy commissioner.

While May addressed the House, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defended the Prime Minister. "Let's keep some perspective here," he said. "The fears that people have about what's gone on at the Metropolitan police is that a criminal investigation may have been compromised by the contacts between the police and the media."

Speaking from his trade mission to Africa this morning, the Prime Minister moved to postpone the Parliamentary recess, confirming that he would give a statement to the House on Wednesday, followed by a debate on the issues raised by recent events and in tomorrow's Culture select committee. He will leave his trip earlier than planned in order to prepare for the statement.

Defending his own position, Cameron said "The situation in the police service is really quite different from the situation in government."

“The issues around them have had a marked bearing on public confidence into the police inquiry and indeed the police themselves,” he added.

Tags: Blog, Cameron, Coalition, Labour, Met, Phone hacking