The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Some MPs have told "total lies", says Rupert Murdoch

Murdoch denies he is going to sell up and hits out at Gordon Brown in his first interview since the

By Samira Shackle Published 15 July 2011 9:37

Rupert Murdoch has given his first significant public comments since the scandal engulfing News Corporation broke. Speaking to his own newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, he vigorously defended the company's actions and hit back at accusations against him.

He said that News Corp had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible," making just "minor mistakes." This is despite claims by the Metropolitan Police that News International hindered its investigation.

Murdoch also addressed his appearance in front of a Commons select committee next Tuesday. He agreed to attend yesterday after initially declining. He said he wanted to:

[Address] some of the things that have been said in parliament, some of which are total lies. We think it's important to absolutely establish our integrity in the eyes of the public......I felt that it's best just to be as transparent as possible.

He singled out former prime minister Gordon Brown, who has accused reporters at News International of accessing his son's medical records and gave a rabble-rousing speech attacking Murdoch and News International in the Commons on Wednesday, saying: "He got it entirely wrong".

Murdoch added that "the Browns were always friends of ours" until the Sun withdrew its support for Labour before the last election. His biographer, Michael Wolff, tweeted that in the interview "Murdoch seemed genuinely distressed about Brown not liking him anymore".

In the last few days, speculation has been rife that Murdoch might sell off his British newspaper titles to prevent contagion in his empire. Murdoch, who is famously committed to the newspaper business, responded to these rumous:

Pure rubbish. Pure and total rubbish....give it the strongest possible denial you can give.

He also said he was confident that the damage to News Corp was "nothing that will not be recovered". Unsurprisingly, the Sun King is fighting back.

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20 comments

Fri, 2011-07-15 17:04 — Arthur Williamson (not verified)

I hope Murdoch does try to sue, as it will lead to more information coming out of the clossit.

Fri, 2011-07-15 18:13 — Steve (not verified)

@Arthur. Indeed. Including all the whoring Labour did after him and his editors for over ten years, and Labour's sudden Damascene need for an enquiry into his companies after he switched them from Labour to the Tories.

Perhaps Murdoch will tell us what his wife and Brooks discussed at that Chequer's slumber party.

Fri, 2011-07-15 18:31 — Fergus Pickering (not verified)

Some MPs have told lies!!! Hold the presses. That can't possibly be true, now can it? People like Keith Vaz, underpants Bryant, Pies Prescott, Taxicab Byers, not to mention the various MPs detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure. You don't realy expect me to believe that these people ever TOLD LIES?

Fri, 2011-07-15 20:23 — mkmkmkmmm

+http://www.abcneed.com=
+http://www.abcneed.com=
+http://www.abcneed.com=
+http://www.abcneed.com=
+http://www.abcneed.com=
+http://www.abcneed.com=

Mon, 2011-07-18 10:41 — alan (not verified)

POLITICIANS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS MEALY MOUTHED SHALLOW GREEDY
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE AND MURDOCH UNDERSTOOD THAT FACT AND RULED LIKE
ROYALTY OF OLD AND THE MAFIA OF TODAY
DROSS AND THE STRONG RULE

Tue, 2011-07-19 15:35 — fsattyfs (not verified)

---- http://www.proxy4biz.com ------
---- http://www.proxy4biz.com ------

Fri, 2011-07-15 10:01 — Yonmei

It's amazing how delusional the very rich can be.

"Integrity" is not what anyone thinks of when they think of the News International stable.

But I do hope Murdoch doesn't sell off his papers. In fact, I hope he buys the Daily Mail, too, and they all crash together.

Fri, 2011-07-15 10:55 — thinkov

he looks like -and acts like Homer Simpson with the air sucked out

Fri, 2011-07-15 11:07 — michal karski (not verified)

@Yonmei

'delusional' just about sums it up. Mr Murdoch seems to be totally out of touch and in complete denial. So much for living in a bubble.

Fri, 2011-07-15 11:33 — Steve (not verified)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa.

http://order-order.com/2011/07/15/guardian-says-sorry-to-sun/

Fri, 2011-07-15 11:39 — treborc

I can think of a few Lords with the same problems and I can think of a few leaders and ex leaders with the same delusions

Fri, 2011-07-15 12:06 — Dumbo (not verified)

1. Why do western omnipotent governments have a tendency to attack anyone or anything while they are weak? This is just another example of political smoking mirrors to hide the real information thieves as reviewed in the Guardian article on October 21st, 2010: "Surveillance State" fear as UK government revives tracking plan for Email, text, internet and mobile phone details of everyone in Britain to be stored.
2. A bill should be proposed by the UK Parliament for a mandatory party leader election to be held within 90 days of any political party being found guilty of any misleading advertising during elections and referendums. If politicians are not to be associated with sewer rats, perhaps they should: a) propose such a bill promptly to prove how clean they really are, and b) answer questions in a clear, concise and correct manner (i.e. as journalists are encouraged to do by their editors).
3. Mr Murdock - you have my (without prejudice) permission to hack my Email, text, internet and mobile phone details (ne quis te de spuriis).

Sat, 2011-07-16 04:49 — Tom (not verified)

Tired of idiotic default games by Stateside politicians? Time for a global billionaire to go down. Maybe.

The last two U.K. inquiries frankly had no authority and no results. How will this be different? Yes all three parties will stumble all over themselves to score major political points and get maximum soundbites out of it.

Then what? Will Murdoch lose serious profit and power in the U.K.? I seriously doubt it. He's had too much power for too long. How many rightwing presenters can you name that are working for major media outlets that used to work for Murdoch? When was the last time you heard a major news outlet have a go at him? Do you seriously think that Newsnight or the Wall Street Journal would frankly criticize him? Absolutely not.

Fri, 2011-07-15 12:17 — Anton Jury (not verified)

Now it is going to become very interesting like a bitter divorce.

Sat, 2011-07-16 10:45 — R Gallagher (not verified)

How does he know that they've told lies? He has appeared clueless already to to lengths his British papers go to obtain information.

He's in a very precarious position. HMG as well as the Official Opposition have it in for him. Trinity Mirror, Northern & Shell and DMGT will spare little sympathy despite their own probable culpability.

He'd be better off giving MPs whatever they want, clear house and then bide his time until he can recapture lost influence. I doubt his ego and emotional attachments can give him the clear-sightedness to do this.

Fri, 2011-07-15 13:05 — Arthur Williamson (not verified)

Why is Rupert Murdoch making these comments to a newspaper in America?

If any of his comments were false, or libel or whatever, is it true to say Gordon Brown can do nothing about it because the UK legal system has no authority because the offence is committed in America.