Andy Coulson leaves No 10 job

PM's communications chief leaves 11 days after announcing his resignation as Downing Street says 'good progress' is being made on finding successor

Andy Coulson has left his job as the Downing Street communications director 11 days after announcing that he would stand down, No 10 confirmed this morning.

Coulson who said on 21 January that he had decided to resign because the wave of allegations about illegal phone hacking were making his job impossible will not receive severance pay.

The prime minister's spokesman confirmed Coulson had left No 10 for good at this morning's daily lobby briefing.

Asked whether a replacement had been found, the spokesman said: "I think we are making good progress on that. When we are in a position to make an announcement we will make one. I wouldn't say it is imminent."

Coulson decided to resign after deciding that continuing allegations about phone hacking dating back to his time as editor of the News of the World had made it impossible to devote what he called "110%" of his time to his job. "When the spokesman needs a spokesman, it is time to move on," he said in his statement.

Downing Street insisted his resignation was not precipitated by any new evidence that would challenge Coulson's claim that he had no knowledge of phone hacking at the newspaper. Coulson resigned as editor in 2007 after the jailing of Clive Goodman, the former royal editor, and Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator used by the paper, over the hacking of Prince William's phone.

Coulson, who insisted he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing when he resigned as editor, joined his former employers News International in blaming a "rogue reporter" for the illegal practice. This line of defence has been challenged in recent weeks by court documents that are said to show other executives were aware of the practice . . One executive, Ian Edmondson, was sacked after the News of the World passed on "significant new information" to the police.

Downin! g Street 's indication that Coulson will not be receiving severance pay is in line with the standard contract for special advisers, it said.

The contract, drawn up in June, reads: "Because of the power of the Crown to dismiss at will, you are not entitled to a period of notice terminating your employment. However, unless your employment is terminated by agreement, results from ... disciplinary proceedings, inefficiency or grounds justifying summary dismissal at common law, you will in practice normally be given not less than three months' notice in writing terminating your employment. On the expiration of such notice, your employment will terminate."

The contract adds that special advisers need to give at least five weeks' notice if they want to resign. It says: "You may terminate your appointment by giving not less than fice weeks' notice in writing to [name of appointing minister]."


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