Has the Last Post begun to sound for Rupert Murdoch’s British Empire? Rupert Murdoch's media empire in the United Kingdom consists of four major newspapers: the Sun, News of the World, The Times and the Sunday Times. Rupert Murdoch also has a large stake in the television media and is seeking to complete a takeover of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). Several years ago rumours began to emerge about News Corporation journalists from the News of the World hacking into the phones of major celebrities and politicians. It has since transpired that many individuals indeed did have their phone messages hacked into by journalists working for newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation. However the last few days has taken this scandal from the world of celebrity and politics into the country at large. This is due to the fact that it appears that the mobile phone of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler may have been hacked into by journalists of the News of the World. Further suspected cases of phone hacking may also include the murdered Soham teenagers, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman as well as the bereaved families of those who lost loved ones in the 7/7 terrorist attacks on London (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14040841). Tonight, it has also transpired that the families of dead soldiers may have had their phones intercepted and hacked into by the News of the World (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14052909). I for one would like to echo the words of the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg who described the recent developments in the phone hacking scandal as "beneath contempt" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/05/phone-hacking-mps-milly-dowler). All of these allegations arguably put the future of the planned takeover of BSkyB at as well as the career of the head of News International, Rebekah Brooks at risk.
But what are the political implications of the scandal that is now engulfing Rupert Murdoch's dealings in the United Kingdom? Firstly there are the BSkyB takeover and the Prime Minister's relationship with Andy Coulson. However there is a much more central issue regarding politics and Rupert Murdoch in Britain. This is due to the fact that for many decades Rupert Murdoch and his media empire have been senior backers and donors to both the Labour and Conservative parties. Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and now David Cameron have sought strong links to the Murdoch press because they were dependent upon their support. Politicians for decades from both the Tories and Labour viewed the endorsement of Rupert Murdoch as a key steppingstone to achieving power. No politician of the two largest parties with any prospect of a political future has dared to criticise News International; but as Nick Robinson from the BBC speculates could that be changing? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14045722) At any rate both Labour and the Tories have been dependent on Murdoch's empire, it is up to the Liberal Democrats to hold News International to account. This is especially the case now that we are in government. We as Liberal Democrats were not afraid to criticise the Murdoch press when we were in opposition and we certainly shouldn't be afraid now that we have influence in government. The one continuing factor throughout all the decades when the Murdoch Empire was either endorsing Labour or the Tories is it was always hostile to the Lib Dems, a third-party that would seemingly never achieve power. It wasn't the Sun that won it for us, far from it. It is important that those who are directly responsible for these latest phone hacking scandals are brought to account. Rebekah Brooks's position as the head of News International is looking increasingly untenable and the planned takeover of BSkyB should now be halted as it is clear that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is not a fit and worthy company to be running such a large swathe of the British television media. Nick Clegg it is now up to you to carry the Liberal Democrat baton that has always opposed Rupert Murdoch and call for Rebekah Brooks to resign and also call for a halt to the planned BSkyB takeover.
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