Coulson had £40,000 in News Corp May 10, 2012 DAVID Cameron’s former press secretary yesterday said that he held £40,000 of News Corporation shares while working at Downing Street. Andy Coulson, the ex-editor of the News of the World, also told the Leveson Inquiry that he attended meetings of the national security council and may have had access to top secret documents, even though [...]
Coulson had £40,000 in News Corp May 10, 2012 DAVID Cameron’s former press secretary yesterday said that he held £40,000 of News Corporation shares while working at Downing Street. Andy Coulson, the ex-editor of the News of the World, also told the Leveson Inquiry that he attended meetings of the national security council and may have had access to top secret documents, even though [...]
FSA considers News Corp bid emails probe April 25, 2012 The Financial Services Authority could look into emails sent by Jeremy Hunt’s office to News Corp in relation to possible market abuse. The culture secretary’s staff appear to have given News Corp executives advance warning of Hunt’s decision to give the firm more time to alter its ill-fated bid for BSkyB last year. The FSA [...]
Hunt backed BSkyB deal before he judged the bid May 24, 2012 DAVID Cameron faced fresh questions over his judgment last night after it emerged he knew Jeremy Hunt was an enthusiastic backer of News Corp’s £8bn bid for BSkyB when he asked the culture secretary to decide on the deal. The Prime Minister gave Hunt a quasi-judicial role in December 2010 after Vince Cable, the business [...]
Hunt’s top civil servant clams up over emails April 26, 2012 JEREMY Hunt’s top civil servant yesterday refused to back the culture secretary’s version of events during his oversight of News Corp’s bid for BSkyB. Permanent secretary Jonathan Stephens shirked at least ten questions when he appeared before the public accounts committee, batting away queries on his knowledge of adviser Adam Smith’s communications with News Corp. [...]
Top adviser forced to stand down over contact with lobbyist April 25, 2012 GOVERNMENT adviser Adam Smith admitted yesterday he had gone “too far” in his correspondence with News Corp during its BSkyB bid – then went one step further, by resigning. Smith, one of culture secretary Jeremy Hunt’s most senior advisers, fell on his sword after a string of emails released to the Leveson inquiry showed him [...]
Murdoch must be stripped of BSkyB stake, says Labour April 29, 2012 HARRIET Harman, the shadow culture secretary, yesterday called for News Corp to be stripped of its 39 per cent stake in BSkyB. Speaking on the Sunday Politics Show, Harman said that Rupert Murdoch was “not a fit and proper person” to own a broadcast licence because of the “widespread criminality” that went on at his [...]
Hunt pleads ignorance over his office’s News Corp emails April 25, 2012 CULTURE secretary Jeremy Hunt took to the floor of the Commons to fight for his political life yesterday, pleading ignorance of the emails that show his department’s apparent closeness with News Corp. Hunt said his special adviser Adam Smith had “unintentionally overstepped the mark” in his frequent emails, calls and texts with top News Corp [...]
Hunted April 24, 2012 JEREMY Hunt, the culture secretary, was facing calls for his resignation last night, after a trove of emails unveiled at the Leveson inquiry suggested that he was in secret contact with News Corp during its ill-fated bid to buy BSkyB last year. Hundreds of pages of emails appear to show that the US media giant was [...]
Stick with Sona Sasta in Chepstow bog January 3, 2013 BEFORE Christmas I advised backing SONA SASTA each-way at 12/1 for the Coral Welsh National and I see absolutely no reason to jump ship now. The race on December 27 was abandoned due to monsoon-like conditions in Monmouthshire, but tomorrow’s rescheduled version at 3.20pm is looking like it will get the go ahead. It has [...]