What with all the exitement yesterday, what with Blair being questioned by the police, the investigation into bribes over British arms deals with the Saudi dictatorship being dropped “in the national interest”, the official announcement that Princess Diana’s death was an accident (like, reeeeaaaally?), and another announcement that 2,500 Post Offices are to close in the face of a massive public outcry (including a petition signed by 4 million people), the lack of articles about the resignation of a minor minister is understandable, but the resignation of the head of MI5? Does that really merit such little coverage? Especially considering that

“Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, who has been director general of the security service since October 2002, said she had been planning the move since before last year’s terrorist attacks on the London Underground.”

So she’s been in the job for just over four years – hardly a huge amount of time – and has decided to quit following a major terrorist attack about which many questions remain unanswered – and yet this merits only six short paragraphs in the Telegraph and a grand total of 57 articles worldwide (as of 4:45pm on December 15th 2006, according to Google News)?

Erm… Shouldn’t there be a few more questions asked as to precisely why? Especially considering that, apparently, her resignation was agreed as far back as May, yet only happened yesterday, when there was so much other stuff going on that our poor overworked newspaper hacks were struggling enough as it was…

Update:Realised I forgot to point out the single most important bit:

Manningham-Buller agreed her resignation back in May while Charles Clarke was still Home Secretary. She is not leaving until the New Year when her successor is confirmed. Yet the decidedly low-key announcement was only made yesterday, a day more packed than any in a long time with big important stories…

Monday update: More from Rachel and Blairwatch.