Is Boris using public money to take Murdoch to the Olympics?


by Sunny Hundal    
9:45 am - August 2nd 2012

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London Mayor Boris Johnson is facing questions over his decision to invite Rupert Murdoch as a ‘personal guest’ to the Women’s 800m finals this weekend.

It is unclear whether public money is being used to entertian Mr Murdoch at the games.

The Greater London Authority and the Mayor will receive tickets from LOCOG to use for corporate hospitality to try and drive growth in London.

The total cost of these tickets is £314,565. On 25th July 2012 Boris Johnson signed a Mayoral Decision which states that any shortfall in sponsorship will be made up by London & Partners. L&P is part funded by the Mayor of London.

It is unclear whether any taxpayer’s money from L&P will be used to make up this shortfall, this could amount to £129,000.

The questions are being raised by the Labour group in London. Its leader Len Duvall issued a statement saying:

We need absolute clarity so that the public can be assured that their money is not being mis-spent. Is Boris Johnson using public money to take Rupert Murdoch to the Olympics?

News International are subject to an ongoing police inquiry and a number of current and former employees and senior exectives have been charged by the CPS. I do not think it is appropriate for the owner of this company to be treated to hospitality by the Mayor in this way.

The Mayor is still the subject of an internal City Hall investigation into his previous non-disclosure of meetings with the media mogul and senior news international executives at the height of the phone-hacking scandal.

Boris Johnson has previously been criticised for keeping these meetings from the public.

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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. Dick the Prick

It’s a funny one this, to be sure. The Sun, News of the Screws and most notably SKY have changed British sport forever in ways many nerds like me do sometimes find galling but nevertheless have to stand back in amazement and simply say ‘wow’. Money talks in sport and Murdoch, it could be argued, has significantly helped Blighty become the top test nation, helped Le Colonel Wiggo win Le Tour, allowed Tom Daley never to have to work again, published gushing paens to Lady Beccy of Addlington and perhaps, jingoistically at times, supported sport like no other franchise. If the Olympics can transcend politics then it would seem churlish to disavow Murdoch’s assistance to the athletes. Just a thought – but that’s how the Sun makes money, virtually everyone who buys it starts at the back and sometimes reads the front.

2. Kojak

Oh Sunny get a grip.

Soon you’ll be running the story ‘Murdoch goes to Olympic with Boris therefore Boris has Murdoch’s backing to replace Cameron’

3. Matt

>Oh Sunny get a grip.

No. Don’t. This is more fun.

;-)

4. Barrie J

Anybody remember the last time a politician spent their own money on anything?

5. Guano

Boris claims that Murdoch isn’t under police investigation. He mustn’t have got the memo about the potential corporate charges against NI.

6. ECS Sanchez

“Boris invites Murdoch to the Olympics” – my opinion:
Disgraceful! How dare Boris, as Mayor of London and thus representing London, fete this tycoon of questionable character, and moreover largely at our, the London taxpayers’, expense!

I am glad to say that none of our family has ever voted for Johnson, nor ever will – and now Murdoch is indicating that he will back BJ to become next leader of the Tory Party… Unbelievable! Just goes further to show that Boris can’t be on the same wavelength as normal folk, not to see that that would be a definite further nail in the coffin of his political future as far as public opinion is concerned.

Let’s hope that at the next London Mayor Election there will be a suitable candidate of character and integrity for the citizens of London to rally behind and make us proud to have him or her as our Mayor and representative!


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