Published: July 18th 2011 - at 2:10 pmLibdems declare all-out war on Murdoch, BSkyB
Libdem Chair President Tim Farron and Media spokesperson Don Foster MP have written to media regulator Ofcom, urging them to investigate whether Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is “fit and proper” to even own a 39% stake in BSkyB.
The letter was also co-signed by Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes MP.
The letter demands Ofcom investigate the conduct of News Corporation and its associated companies, arguing that News Corp control over BSkyB makes this a relevant cause for concern.
They call call for Ofcom to take measures immediately to establish that the owners of the BSkyB licence are ‘fit and proper’ persons.
Don Foster said today:
It is in the public interest that Ofcom undertakes an immediate investigation to establish whether the licence holders at News Corp remain “fit and proper”.
Ofcom is reluctant to act while the police are investigating but they shouldn’t wait. There have already been enough admissions of wrongdoing and there is no legal reason to stop Ofcom from getting started now.
Even if senior executives are not criminally culpable, Ofcom should still investigate News Corporation’s massive management failures. News Corporation’s inability to run its shop properly makes it unfit to hold the BSkyB broadcast licence.
Update: letter was sent on Friday, but released today
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Reader comments
This is great now all Cleg has to do is make a big model of ruper out of butter and then wehn cam is out taking his kids to schol cleg could come in ans put butterrupert on cam desk and letthe greas melting butter run into all cams stuff
Um, props for reporting this, but this is old news (as I’m pretty sure this was reported on LDV three days ago).
Also, Tim Farron is President of the Liberal Democrats, not the chair.
Oh …… Simon Hughes.
The saintly one who besmirched Peter Tatchell as being gay in order to win the Bermondsey seat all those years ago – only to be forced out the closet himself.
If the LibDems want their issues to have any credibility they shouldn’t allow endorsement from Hughes.
@4
You are referring to the single leaflet title “The Straight Choice for ‘X’”. Except of course that Tatchell has said that he didn’t think it was homophobic, the fact that “straight” has other meanings than orientation, more so back then, and the fact that Hughe’s literature never mentioned Tatchell being gay.
But of course, you’re quite right, the Lib Dems should never have allowed their deputy leader to say anything on the subject on the grounds that some people question his previous behaviour on an unrelated matter in the distant past. In fact, the Lib Dems should never have said anything on the issue unless they had people to say it who had never, ever done anything even remotely questionable in their entire lives.
Please. How more tribal and off topic can you get? I call troll.
@4
Oh, and to summarise the situation:
“One of the Hughes’ campaign leaflets has been condemned by some for claiming the [Bermondsey by-]election was “a straight choice” between Liberal and Labour, however this phrase is regularly used by many parties within the UKâHughes has since apologised for what may be perceived as an inadvertent slur.”
Simon Hughes has apologised for his frankly unpleasant by-election campaign all those years ago and Peter Tatchell has accepted the apology and even praised Hughes for being one of the more ‘progressive’ Lib Dems. No election campaign will be squeaky clean and Hughes just crossed the line into bad taste.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch and BSkyB http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- sunny hundal
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Oxford Kevin
Libdems think they've found a solution to their electoral collapse. Will it work? http://t.co/DmiC2Zy via @libcon
- James
Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch and BSkyB http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- 1st Ethical CT
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Elena Blackmore
Great! RT @libcon: Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch – ask if he's fit and proper for the other 39% of BSkyB http://t.co/L1u70QX
- Joe Taylor
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Nick Panteli
RT @libcon: Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch, BSkyB http://t.co/RdGEZlD
- Chris Marshall
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Hammy Cammy
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Abbas Premji
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- ?
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Rachel
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Matthew Doye
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Noxi
RT @libcon: Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch and BSkyB http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Paul Abbott
Top Libdems sign a letter questioning whether Murdoch fit even to own 39% of BSkyB. All out war? http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
- Gavin Duff
Libdems declare all-out war on Murdoch and BSkyB http://bit.ly/mOC9U5
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