Muammar Al Khadafi

Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has resigned as the phone hacking scandal centreing around News International continues.

His resignation comes in the wake of the arrest of Neil Wallis, a former News of the World executive who was subsequently hired as a PR consultant by the Met.

Stephenson, although resigning, joins a growing list of casualties over the scandal, including Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor and aide to David Cameron, and News International Chief Rebekah Brooks, both of whom were arrested by police and questioned over the affair.

Allegations against those involved range from phone hacking, including those of celebrities and people involved in high profile criminal cases, to bribing police officers.

The whole scandal has dragged on since 2005, and the big question currently has to be - when will the politicians stand up and take some responsibility, perhaps emulating Sir Paul Stephensons decision to "resign with integrity intact"

David Camerons choice to employ Andy Coulson was certainly bad judgement to say the least, and he can't say he wasn't warned.

For too long the main political parties have enjoyed a cosy relationship with news empires, cosying up to those who can deliver the favourable headlines to the masses. And, for too long a handful of papers have wielded far too powerful an influence over what is and what is not news, and the power to form public opinion which that entails.

It's all one vast, cynical game and it's hard to tell who is making the rules at any given point, the only certain thing is that honesty, integrity, and truth are all too often sadly absent amongst the main players.

The buck has to stop with the politicians, who through either cynical self interest, awe of the money and power which these corporations wield, or simple ignorance, have done nothing to stop this entire situation from arising, and who did next to nothing when it was first detected.

When will a politician have the decency to put their hands up, admitting that this whole affair has harmed their ability to do their job and yet further damaged the public trust in an already discredited political realm, and resign?

Dave Cameron may call for "an urgent hacking debate" - as the BBC chooses to name it - from the safety of his African odyssey, but it isn't enough by a long shot.