Cameron Cuts Himself Free

If memory serves, Gore Vidal liked to stress the point that he was always the bugger, never the buggered. Something similar might be said of Rupert Murdoch’s approach to his business dealings. The Dirty Digger – and bugger, for that matter – is not accustomed to failure. And yet, inside just seven days, he has lost the News of the World and his bid to purchase the 61% of BSkyB he does not already own. Cue astonishing scenes and muppetry from the likes of George Monbiot who tweeted, I kid you not, “This is our Berlin Wall moment”.

And yet something has changed on this remarkable day. Credit is due to Ed Miliband and some of his backbenchers (notably Tom Watson) for they’ve led the way on this matter. The Prime Minister has been oddly lethargic, as though caught out and perhaps even a little shamed by his own past willingness to do what was necessary to placate Murdoch’s wolves.