Much has been made of James Murdoch’s resignation as chairman of News International, the scandal-stricken UK newspaper publishing operation of the global media giant.

On a day-to-day level, his departure signifies little. While he may only just have got round to handing back his security pass, Mr Murdoch has played little part in running the subsidiary since Tom Mockridge was parachuted in as chief executive last year.

The act of resignation, moreover, cannot absolve him of responsibility for what happened on his watch. In recent weeks, more evidence has tumbled out, both at the Leveson inquiry and in the courts, of alleged misconduct at News International. A senior police officer investigating corruption involving public officials has even talked about a “culture of illegal payments” at its biggest-selling tabloid, The Sun. Mr Murdoch has yet to give a full account of what he knew and when he knew it.