Whether you are watching television or reading the paper, its hard to avoid recent developments on the phone hacking scandal. With further allegations rising by the minute, it can only be further appalling to hear of them. So where were Met, Rebekah Brooks, and the Murdochs ?
The hacking story is certainly not showing any signs of cooling off. What intrigued me the most, was the fact senior Murdoch is in England himself to save the empire, but how much can be done. Could this spell the end for News international?
When David Cameron said ‘ I would accept Rebecca resignation,’ well he really wasn’t left with much of a choice, was he? And has the Prime Minister’s image been tarnished? He hired Andy Coulson, and then he gave his a second chance !
The public aren’t idiots and people are well aware media magnates tend to be politically involved in yet another way. They seek favours from their political friends – in return for electoral and agenda setting support. Murdoch has a history of hosting private meetings with influential politicians and charming them to his business advantage
Back in the mid-1960s, his surprise acquisitions of the News of the World and later The Times and The Sunday Times; both were no ordinary takeovers but controversial, which further reinforced his growing reputation as a ruthless and cunning business operator.
In 1997, he shifted his endorsement to Tony Blair despite his close ties to Margaret Thatcher and John Major. In 2007, after Blair’s resignation, the British press began to speculate whether Murdoch would shift his support from the Labour to David Cameron and the Conservatives, and right enough he did.
After a meeting with Conservatives Leader David Cameron in September 2009, the Sun turned its back on the Labour party. The Sun announced it would abandon its 12-year support of Labour. “Labour’s lost it”, the paper declared on its front page, a move designed to cause maximum damage to Gordon Brown hours after he delivered a conference speech that had even been praised by some Tories.
After pressure from Murdoch, Cameron announced that “Ofcom as we know it will cease to exist”, proposing to strip the broadcasting regulator’s powers shortly after it announced that BSkyB must reduce its prices.
Also, Cameron has shown he will listen to the Murdoch press over who to promote and sack. Cameron was willing to ditch his Shadow Home Secretary and appoint Chris Grayling instead when this was made a pre condition of winning The Sun’s backing.In a panel discussion on Question Time last night, Chris Grayling stumbled on several occasions, with some of the questions addressed to him.
And how much more control has Murdoch exerted on Britain’s politicians is unknown. But he certainly knows his game and whom to lobby with to ruthlessly push ahead his empire. After all, in this business you got to be astute as well as cunning and ruthless to be ahead of the game. The BSkyB bid is in a severe dilemma and with more revelations on the former Prime Minister’s financial and personal life , much is to be seen.
So will David Cameron be able to help save the empire from drowning ? Only time will tell and with company shares plummeting and more details unfolding, much is desired to be seen
Whereintheworldischarlene 