Jeremy Hunt's coalition colleagues join call for inquiry
Simon Hughes and Bernard Jenkin urge an investigation into potential breaches of the ministerial cod
By Samira Shackle Published 27 April 2012 9:28
Is Jeremy Hunt on borrowed time? Downing Street is standing firm behind the Culture Secretary, but the pressure is on to launch an inquiry into whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct in his dealings with News Corporation.
Speaking on Question Time last night, the Liberal Democrat’s deputy leader, Simon Hughes, said that he could not understand why the issue had not been referred to the independent watchdog. While he stopped short of calling for Hunt to resign, Hughes urged David Cameron – the only person who can refer the matter for further investigation – to revise his decision:
I don't know why he hasn't done it but I would have thought, to give confidence in the system, I hope the prime minister reconsiders his view.
That must be in Jeremy's interest. If Jeremy is correct in what he's said, he'll be vindicated. If he's not, then he has to take the consequences.
While Labour has been leading the charge for a full investigation, this makes Hughes the first senior Lib Dem to do so. He is not the only person within the coalition to call for an inquiry. Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative chair of the public administration select committee, has also urged Cameron to refer Hunt’s case to Sir Alex Allen, the independent adviser on the ministerial code.
As Hughes said, it is difficult – at least on the face of things – to understand why an investigation has not been launched. The tranche of emails released on Tuesday between News Corp’s top public affairs official, Frederic Michel, and Hunt’s special adviser, Adam Smith, appear to show Hunt as a collaborator rather than an independent adjudicator in the company’s controversial attempt to take 100 per cent control of BSkyB. It is impossible to believe the government line that Smith (who has fallen on his sword) acted on his own volition.
If Hunt goes, attention will inevitably look elsewhere in government. The cosy relations between Cameron, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks are already well-documented – particularly the latter, with whom the Prime Minister shared Christmas lunch and riding excursions. In this context, Hunt is a useful foil. While the heat remains on him, it is off Cameron and George Osborne. As the country is gripped by double dip recession, the impression of corruption and intrigue and a government more concerned with the interests of wealthy media barons than ordinary people has the potential to be hugely damaging. The question is how long Conservative to command can feasible withstand the pressure to – at the very least – investigate Hunt’s actions.
UPDATE 9.45am:
Hunt has said that he will hand over all emails and texts to Smith relating to News Corp's bid to takeover BSkyB. The Culture Secretary said the details would "vindicate" him and show that he had acted with "total integrity".
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13 comments
But more troubling is the latter issue. It seems a safe bet the law which is preventing the IPCC from revealing the information is Section 17 of the Regulatory of Investigatory Powers Act اخر اخبار مصر
It's as old as the hills: 'justice delayed is justice denied!' And what about Dave Cameron and all that twaddle he spouted at PM's QT.
Ken Livingston behaving rationally and minimising his tax bill and then employing three people to be part of his team.
Why, Dave made it seem as if Ken were doing something illegal. Morally repugnant - maybe - if an artificial construct designed for nothing other than tax avoidance is utilized.
Strange - HMCE have made no move to investigate the legitimacy of Ken's financial affairs.
Of course! It all makes sense now. Today's D Torygraph discloses that Jeremy Hunt,( that's right - with an aitch and a capital letter, mind)acting in concert with his business partner paid £100,000 less tax as a result of a property deal. Get it right! Not a sweetheart deal but a property deal.
According to the Daily Torygraph Hunt just changed the names to protect the innocent.
A thoughtul chap. Not only that, Hunt speaks fluent Japanese. Although what use that will do him in this fix beats us.
One law for the rich,,,,,,,
Okay let's have an inquiry
Duration: many many years.
Remit: to examine anything and everything on god's green earth as long as it never quite gets to the point.
Expenditure: colossal - employ as many lawyers as possible to ensure that they get paid for the many, many years afore mentioned.
Conclusion: have a general election (actually an unconnected event) and import liars and useless people generally to 'clean up politics' to offer 'a new kind of change' .
Prologue: new accusations of impropriety.
Set up inquiry
Remit:
etc.
etc.
etc.
Yawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clean up politics
Life on earth ends
Bacteria continue to multiply.
P.s
Domestos is needed (other bleach products are available).
Cameron has more than a few zombies in his cabinet.
Voodoo PM
I agree with your statement re. Vince Cable. The sting was probably set up by Cameron and his crew.
Do you think that Adam Smith should be interviewed under oath?
If Hunt was using Smith to do the dirty work, then Hunts emails and texts will have no value whatsoever. Cleaner than clean on the surface, dirty as hell underneath.
Since Adam Smith was hired to relay Murdoch's orders to Hunt and insider information back to Murdoch, it is hardly likely that Hunt would then be so stupid, having created this go-between, as to commit anything to e-mails or texts between himself and Smith. Hunt's texts to Michel though are more than revealing.
Everyone with half a brain cell knows that Hunt was backing the BSkyB bid and that he was following orders from David Cameron to put that bid through and it was within hours of going through and would have done if the hacking scandal had not blown up in their faces.
David Cameron and James Murdoch have spoken about the bid and on more than one occasion, despite what Cameron says, in any case I do not believe a word Cameron says he is a proven habitual liar.
I do not believe a single word that Rupert Murdoch says either and I have not fallen for his strange form of selective "Alzheimer's" either, his little old man act has not fooled many. When asked tricky questions he doesn't want to answer he suddenly forgets the answers, yet in the next breath he can recall a telephone conversation word for word had at exactly the same time? Who is he trying to kid? Of course Murdoch spoke to Cameron about BSkyB, the BBC AND about the hiring of Andy Coulson.
Cable lost the BSkyB brief and it was handed to Jeremy Hunt, of course BOTH Murdochs were delighted. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if those Telegraph journalists weren't set up to do what they did by the Murdochs and Cameron in order to get him thrown off the brief, a conspiracy theory? Yes it is, but it I don't think it's that's far from the truth! It was all so very convenient with the timing etc.
The reason why Cameron does not want an independent investigation is because he knows what will come out, he knows that he (cameron) and Hunt will be implicated and the whole sordid mess will be revealed.
"Jeremy Hunt spent five days in the US, holding meetings with News Corporation when Rupert and James Murdoch were first deciding whether to bid for Sky, official documents reveal.
Almost immediately after Hunt's trip, James Murdoch visited David Cameron in London, and privately told him that News Corp had agreed to switch its support to the Tories in the upcoming election. Hunt then became culture secretary in the victorious Tory government."___
Cameron promised the Murdochs BSkyB in return for their newspaper support and Cameron hired Coulson as a favour to Murdoch when Coulson was forced to resign from the News of the World.
If at the time Coulson had resigned the first time for something he said he didn't do, and Murdoch has previously maintained that he did not know that Coulson was involved in all these allegations of hacking etc then why did Murdoch say he was as "surprised as anyone else that Cameron had hired Coulson"?
This whole thing stinks, it absolutely reeks of Tory corruption and Jeremy Hunt is as bent as a "nine bob note" and should resign, Cameron should sack him, but how can he? If he sacked Hunt then he should sack himself too and for the same reasons!
It's always fascinating to do a bit of research on these people - see what else they've been up to in the past, their connections, donors, wives and mistresses.
Powerful stuff, you can see why the tabloids were so interested in it and how that knowledge might be turned into a beneficial relationship.
one bigger liar than the other incompetent
First Fox. Then Hunt. How interesting.
Of course joint Prime-Minister David Cameron will not ask for an enquiry or resignation ! How can he do that to such a good buddy of his ? Buddies do not let each other down , even if it is in the national interest to do so . Buddies come first , country comes second .
As the coalition crawls through its period of borrowed time , joint Prime-Minister's Cameron and Clegg (without mandate) will need all the support they can get from Jeremy Hunt , which is why Hunt has a smirk on his face .
The question is whether the voter on the street will be too impressed with Cameron's childish attitude towards a crisis in his coalition Government which only delivers for his rich and wealthy friends as long as the money is right.
It may have worked in Eaton , but unfortunately when it comes to running a country ,school boy politics regarding corruption does not wash with the ordinary voter, who has got to actually work for a living !
Come may the the third in the local elections , Cameron and Clegg's coalition will get it's answer regarding their antics to date .
Omnishambles is the best description of this shabby government. Useless prats the lot of them. It is absolutelt clear that Cameron, through Hunt, wanted the BskyB deal to go through. Hunt will go - super smooth Cameron will deny all responsibility and sail on with his ideological dismembering of public services. Same old same old.