Jeremy Hunt fights to save his political skin

Jeremy Hunt must have been hoping that all he had to worry about by the first week in May was the Olympic clock ticking down the minutes, hours and days to the opening of the London Games.

As it's turned out, he's probably barely glanced at it over the weekend as he fights to save his political skin and still be in his job by July 27th and the opening ceremony.

There is a rule of thumb here when ministers are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. If they can survive the first few weeks, they have a fighting chance of hanging on particularly if another big news story means journalists take their eye off the ball.

But, and this is a seriously big but in need of a diet, this rule only applies if there are no more revelations and no more drip-drip details that keeps the story oven-ready.

This is, perhaps, why the Prime Minister is keen that his Culture Secretary goes before the Levenson Inquiry in a few weeks time with all the evidence to give his version of events under oath.

Jeremy Hunt says he will then be vindicated and cleared of any wrong-doing in his role deciding whether the Murdoch's News Corporation could take over BSkyB.

But Labour doesn't want to wait that long which is why they are pressing the PM to come before the House to face allegations that he is "ducking his responsibility" by not referring the whole issue to his independent advisor on ministerial matters, Sir Alex Allan.

Even within the coalition, there are senior figures like Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Simon Hughes publically asking why Sir Alex can't be involved in addition to Jeremy Hunt going before Leveson.

But Labour is baying for blood and on Daybreak this morning, the Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry couldn't have been more robust if she'd tried in calling the the Prime Minister to "man up" and investigate.

MPs also want more details of the conversation that David Cameron had with James Murdoch at Christmas party in December 2010 which the Prime Minister has denied was inappropriate though has admitted looks embarrasing in retrospect. But he has gone out of his way to say there's no "great mystery" and certainly no "grand deal" with the Murdochs to allow the takeover in return for political support

And then there are the local elections on Thursday where Labour could win as many as 700 seats according to some analysts, though the party is playing those numbers down.

David Cameron's admission that it has been "difficult" lately is clearly in the running for "understatement of the year"