From the BBC:
Business Secretary Vince Cable has said “veiled threats” were made against the Liberal Democrats when he was assessing News Corporation’s 2010 bid for BSkyB.
He told the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics his party was warned it would be “done over” in the firm’s newspapers if he ruled against its takeover attempt.
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6 Comments
I have to say that I think backing Cameron over the Jeremy Hunt affair is probably the worst thing the Lib Dems have done in this coalition so far.
On policy it can always be said that there have to be compromises. But why on earth has the party agreed that someone who has acted in this way shouldn’t even be investigated? Particularly as Vince Cable was relieved of his duties for acting in a way that was certainly incorrect, but was not in the same league as Hunt’s actions.
If there are LibDem MPs with a shred of integrity, over and above their tribal loyal, they will be voting to refer Jeremy Hunt to the Independent Commissioner so that he can determine whether or not he has broken the Ministerial Code. How much prima facie evidence is needed.
The investigation has been done, and his story has been told under oath; we have all heard enough to make up our own minds. David Laws stood down for far less, and now it would look bad if he were re-appointed, but if Hunt stays on it reflects on Cameron, rather like when Blair brought Mandelson back. Clegg and other LD ministers should stay well out of it and make no comment..
Let the Tories deal with their own strife, and let them take the flak.
Peter
There is not much point in having having mechnisms within the Ministerial Code for independent review if these can be avoided by the PM with the passive, or otherwise, acquiescence of LibDem MPs. I very much doubt Leveson can exercise much sanction over how Parliament operates.
It is alleged by John Ward that Hunt has “direct and potentially very beneficial [business] partnering links with the Newscorp empire… He has never declared these … ”
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/exclusive-hunt-business-links-to-newscorp-revealed/
Lib Dems must demand a thorough investigation and in the meantime Hunt should be suspended.
With Cable stepping down from the role due to having expressed dislike of Murdoch, it ought ti ahve been considered absolutely ESSENTIAL that whoever was put in his palce was scrupulousy neutral. Putting in someone who appears to be a good friend of Murdoch is corrupt, there is no other word for it – it makes it seem that Murdoch is running the country, throwing out any politicians who step in his way, putting in their place “Yes Mr Murdoch, whatever you say” men.