Peter Hoskin

The Hunt becomes the hunted

The Eurocrisis may be nagging at our political class, but it’s got nothing on the Leveson inquiry. Today has been James Murdoch’s turn in the hotseat, and it has produced some of the most explosive testimony so far. There was the claim that, contrary to previous Tory insinuations, Murdoch Jr did chat about the BSkyB bid with David Cameron at that notorious Christmas Dinner in 2010. But topping that is the revelation that News Corp had all sorts of contact with Jeremy Hunt about the bid, mainly via their head of public affairs Fred Michel, as it was simmering along in 2010 and 2011.

It doesn’t look good for Hunt. As the minister in charge of the media brief, who was then asked to preside over the BSkyB bid after Vince Cable’s indiscretions, he was advised against meeting with Murdoch.

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