The Labour MP Tom Watson wrote to the Cabinet secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, today accusing the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, of being "knee deep in News Corp". Watson said Hunt should not be handed the power to rule on News Corp's bid for BSkyB in the light of recent unminuted meetings between the culture secretary and executives at Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
In the letter, he demanded to know if O'Donnell knew about those meetings when he took legal advice before authorising the transfer of power to rule on media mergers from business secretary Vince Cable to Jeremy Hunt this week. The former minister and MP for West Bromwich East accused the government of misleading parliament by failing to disclose several meetings between Hunt and News Corp executives.
"Jeremy Hunt is knee deep in News Corp" he wrote. "He had had several unminuted, private, secret, "informal" meetings with News Corp, the existence of which DCMS ministers have then denied in written answers to parliament."
The Guardian disclosed yesterday that Hunt had a private meeting with James Murdoch, the chief executive of News Corp in Asia and Europe, in June with no civil servants present. Murdoch also chairs BSkyB. DCMS officials told the Guardian, in response to an FOI request, that no minutes were taken at the meeting. Watson asked O'Donnell to reveal what was said at that meeting, which took place on 28 June, and where it was held.
Hunt was handed the power to intervene in media mergers after business secretary Vince Cable was stripped of those responsibilities. Earlier this week, Cable told undercover Daily Telegraph reporters he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch. News Corp's bid to buy the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own is being scrutinised by the media regulator Ofcom at the business secretary's request on "media plurality" grounds.
Referring to James Murdoch's meeting with Hunt, Watson said: "As no civil servants were present at the meeting can you be entirely satisfied that this meeting will not prejudice Mr Hunt's judgment when acting in this quasi-judicial role?" Watson also demanded information about other meetings, including one on 21 July between the culture secretary and Jeremy Darroch, the chief executive of BSkyB, which was also unminuted.
O'Donnell wrote to John Denham yesterday after the shadow business secretary questioned whether Cable's powers could be transferred to Hunt telling him he had made the decision after taking legal advice. In his letter to O'Donnell, Watson said: "Did the lawyers know about the 28 June meeting between Jeremy Hunt and James Murdoch in providing this advice?"
Further meetings took place between News Corp executives over the summer, including one between the communications minister Ed Vaizey and News International chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, on 12 July. Watson has also demanded to know whether the cabinet secretary was aware of those discussions.
Watson said he had been told in reply to written parliamentary questions that no formal meetings had taken place between Hunt and News Corp executives. He was also told by ministers that the DCMS had no record of any other, informal meetings. Watson said the DCMS's subsequent confirmation that meetings had taken place contradicted the answers given to parliament.
The Guardian
