The Daily Politics - 09/07/2009

On today's programme we'll be delving into the murky world of the press. Today's Guardian newspaper alleges that News International, which owns the News of the World, has secretly paid out more than £1m to settle legal cases that threatened to reveal evidence of its journalists' repeated involvement in the use of criminal methods to get stories. The former deputy prime minister John Prescott is to contact Scotland Yard over claims that his mobile phone messages were intercepted by private investigators, hired by journalists from the News of the World. There've been calls this morning that Andy Coulson, David Cameron's director of communications and a former editor of the News of the World should be sacked by the Tory party. We'll be talking to the former Home Secretary, Charles Clarke. Also today we'll be talking to the TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber about workers' rights. In the current recession, everyone is tightening their belts, but in an effort to save jobs, companies are coming up with more imaginative ways of holding onto their workforce. BT is the latest company to try and reduce staff costs - offering their employees a quarter of their annual salary in return for taking a year off. British Airways have asked their staff to take unpaid leave or work for nothing for up to a month. We'll be asking if all of this is a necessary evil or the rocky road to the erosion of workers' rights. Shadow Education Secretary Michael Gove will also be on the programme. He'll be laying out his plans for schools should the Tories make it into office. Expect a bit of an argie bargie there because our guest of the day is the writer, commentator, and campaigner on education Fiona Miller.