Select Committee hearings are by their nature normally the purview of wonks, obsessives, and masochists. Today, though, the Home Affairs Select Committee appeared to be the centre of the universe. Apparently it was shown live on the BBC, Sky and US television, and Home Affairs Select Committee was even trending on Twitter at one point!

The reason, of course, was the return of Assistant Commissioner John Yates of the Yard - the man who, in 8 hours, decided that no further investigation was required into phone hacking.

The Committee clearly feel they have been misled previously, prompting a tense and confrontational atmosphere. Indeed, the session with Yates as a witness began with Julian Huppert making a point of order that prompted ChaFrostir Keith Vaz to remind Yates that it is an offence to lie to a Select Committee, for which you can be held in contempt of the House of Commons.

Yates blames News International for the stonewalling of previous inquiries, and repeatedly referenced their lack of co-operation. This claim didn’t carry much weight with the Committee however, with one member asking if, in his vast experience of policing, wrongdoers normally comply with the police. Bridget Phillipson later asked why he had not pursued phone hacking with the same vigour as Cash for Honours. The Committee were determined to make Yates squirm.

The tetchy nature of the session was typified in an exchange with Lorraine Fullbrook. Yates didn’t hear the start of her point, prompting him to ask her to repeat herself.  “Mrs Fullbrook says she is astounded by the incompetence displayed,” came the cutting reply from the Chair, quoting Fullbrook verbatim.

Julian Huppert asked Yates if he had been in contact socially with News International executives, and then returned later to ask whether Yates had been any media guidance on keeping the company on side, and whether records of such a decision existed.  Yates replied that he had no social engagements with NI executives while the investigation was live, but had at other times, and that no media guidance was sought or recorded. Yates also told Huppert that he had never been contacted by News International regarding claims around his private life.

The Committee room was packed, and the MPs on the Committee were undoubtedly playing to the gallery somewhat. Watching from the sidelines were Labour’s Chris Bryant and Tom Watson, both of whom had been leading voices in the campaign against phone hacking. Bryant in particular seemed very unimpressed, visibly shaking his head in response to some of the answers given.

Perhaps most telling was Keith Vaz’s summation – he thanked Asst. Comm. Yates for his co-operation and regular agreement to attend, but warned him that this was probably not the last time he would be asked to do so.