Express.
GORDON Brown faced embarrassment yesterday when his claim that civil servants blocked plans for an inquiry into phone hacking were contradicted by official documents.Where it gets interesting for the politicians though is that Rupert Murdoch now intends to come to Parliament to attend a select committee meeting next Tuesday and he knows where the bodies are buried (metaphorically speaking... probably)
The former Prime Minister, in an extraordinary Commons tirade earlier this week, insisted that his demand for a major probe into allegations of newspaper wrongdoing during his time in Downing Street was wrecked by opposition from officials.
But records of the advice he received at the time – released on the orders of Civil Service chief Sir Gus O’Donnell yesterday – showed that he was told that the decision was ultimately his.
Shockwaves from Mr Brown’s outspoken intervention into the hacking row continued to reverberate around Westminster yesterday. Nick Clegg accused him of “rewriting history” with his attempt to distance himself from Rupert Murdoch’s News International empire.
It's a bit like the old sticking your head into a lions mouth trick save I suspect that the politicians don't realise just who is the lion here. There are a lot of leftist politicians still smarting over News Internationals move to support the Tories in the last general election after 10 or so years of supporting Labour and who are anxious to stick the knife in. Save only that I suspect they are equalled by a similar number of MP's and the higher political classes who really, really don't want Murdoch to appear and tell the world just who has exactly been up to what. Influence does go both ways in this case after all.
The dilemma facing the political classes is if they push too hard, Murdoch probably has the means to retaliate good and hard, at least I hope he does.
It's probably too much to hope for, but I can dream of a massive falling out by all concerned leading to the downfall of the political class and a change of government to one run by honest people.
I can't think of a finer legacy for the curse of Jonah Brown.
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