Cameron under pressure over News Corp meetings
17.44 Europe/London, July 20, 2011 By Julian Clover
Prime Minister David Cameron has come under repeated pressure in parliament over whether any “inappropriate” discussions took place over the failed News Corp-bid for BSkyB.
Opposition MPs repeatedly asked Mr Cameron as to the nature of any conversations he may have had on the subject with Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International or with Rupert or James Murdoch.
The Prime Minister said his version of events tallied with evidence given by Brooks to the parliamentary select committee on Tuesday. He added that cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell had also ruled that there had been no breach of the ministerial code with respect to the BSkyB-News Corp bid.
“I had no responsibility for the BSkyB takeover. I specifically asked to be taken out of any of the decision-making and any of the information because I didn’t want to put myself in any sort of compromising position”.
Mr Cameron became increasingly exasperated as backbench MPs rephrased the same question, at one point simply sighing before sitting down without response.
17.44 Europe/London, July 20, 2011 By Julian Clover
Prime Minister David Cameron has come under repeated pressure in parliament over whether any “inappropriate” discussions took place over the failed News Corp-bid for BSkyB.
Opposition MPs repeatedly asked Mr Cameron as to the nature of any conversations he may have had on the subject with Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International or with Rupert or James Murdoch.
The Prime Minister said his version of events tallied with evidence given by Brooks to the parliamentary select committee on Tuesday. He added that cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell had also ruled that there had been no breach of the ministerial code with respect to the BSkyB-News Corp bid.
“I had no responsibility for the BSkyB takeover. I specifically asked to be taken out of any of the decision-making and any of the information because I didn’t want to put myself in any sort of compromising position”.
Mr Cameron became increasingly exasperated as backbench MPs rephrased the same question, at one point simply sighing before sitting down without response.