The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Rupert Murdoch and Alex Salmond: an old friendship

What lies behind Murdoch's praise of the SNP leader on Twitter.

By George Eaton Published 03 January 2012 16:19

Since his arrival in the Twittersphere, Rupert Murdoch has praised three politicians: Republican candidate Rick Santorum, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. Of the latter, Murdoch tweeted:

Great to see alexsalmond Briton of the year. Fellow antiestablishmentarian's Econmist piece equal very good and bs!

Murdoch's praise for the Scottish National Party leader may come as a surprise to some but, in fact, the two have a long-standing friendship. As the Salmond-Murdoch letters released last year demonstrated, the SNP head assiduously wooed the News Corp boss after becoming First Minister in 2007.

Following a meeting with Murdoch in New York in October 2007, he wrote:

I enjoyed our conversation and, as ever, found your views both insightful and stimulating.

On another occasion, after the opening of News International's Eurocentral printing plant in Motherwell, Salmond fawned:

Thank you so much for the invitation to open the splendid new plant at Eurocentral. I hope that News International goes from strength to strength and that your "big bet" in newspapers will pay off.

The charm offensive continued. Murdoch was offered tickets to a Ryder Cup golf tournament in Kentucky and was twice invited to be Salmond's "special guest" at the 2009 Homecoming Festival.

The First Minister was eventually rewarded for his sycophancy when the Scottish Sun backed the SNP at the last Holyrood election and when the paper's executives treated him to a curry dinnner after his party's remarkable victory.

Murdoch, who is proud of his Scottish ancestry, clearly has a soft spot for Salmond, as he did for Gordon Brown (unlike his son, James, he anguished over the decision to back the Conservatives). But in the post phone-hacking world is this one friend the SNP leader can do without?

Tags: Alex Salmond Rupert Murdoch

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16 comments

Tue, 2012-01-03 18:59 — p j wall (not verified)

Being a friend and being endorsed by Multi Billionaire Murdoch, is about as appetizing as drinking a cup of cold sick!!, especially amongst the electorate!, so, as much in i have no problem with Salmond, if i was him, or any other Sycophantic politician, we watch and judge you by the friends and company you keep?, after all, these politicians are there to serve us, not themselves!!, as the Limp Dem Collaborators will find out in 2015!!.

Tue, 2012-01-03 21:08 — Lox (not verified)

Check this, George & Mike:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/20/david-cameron-rupert-murdoch...

...for an example of a British politician trying to insert his nose up Murdoch's arse. I'll give you a clue who he is: he's a party hack discredited by his election to his current position by special interest groups who fund his failing party. And his first name is Ed.

Anyway, I don't admire Salmond for his courting of Murdoch's shoddy empire, but all politicians are cynics, aren't they? And I bet Ed M would sell his granny for NI's endorsement.

Why don't you drop the bitter, reactionary unionism, George? It makes you look stupid.

Tue, 2012-01-03 21:36 — mike cobley (not verified)

Yes, indeed, politicians who grew up in the shadow of the brute Murdoch presence would have learned the required politesse. But that was then and this is now, post-phone-hacking, and the Murdoch colossus has been shown to have feet of clay. Tyrannies always look impregnable, until they look vulnerable.

Wed, 2012-01-04 12:21 — Frankly2

In November an Ipsos Mori opinion poll put support for the SNP on 51%, almost double the level enjoyed by Labour, and 6 percentage points higher than at May’s election victory. Labour stood at 26%. As for the SNP leader's personal rating, 62% were satisfied with Alex Salmond's performance as First Minister, compared with 27% who declared themselves to be dissatisfied.

It would appear that the more the anglo-media try to discredit First Minister Salmond the more popular he becomes. Carry on, chaps. You are fooling no one but yourselves.

Thu, 2012-01-05 12:49 — Willp

Murdoch is 'forgetting' that Salmond wants Scotland to enter the euro!
Shows Salmond's lack of sense!

Wed, 2012-01-04 17:19 — mike cobley (not verified)

@Frankly - "the anglo media" - my, that is hilarious. Because as we know, there are no voices from within Scotland criticising Salmond, eh?

Tue, 2012-01-03 16:44 — farky

What is the story here? This is nothing but another attempt by the media to try and damage a very Alex Salmond! I'm not falling for anything this cheap!

Tue, 2012-01-03 16:53 — John Ruddy (not verified)

I presume the thing which brings them together is a shared hatred of Britain?

Tue, 2012-01-03 17:11 — David (not verified)

I have to agree. What is the point of this other than an attempt to smear Salmond? This amounts to nothing more than extremely lazy journalism with a non-existent analysis.

@John Ruddy: when has Salmond ever said he hates Britain? You need to be very careful about putting words into people's mouths...

Tue, 2012-01-03 17:13 — matthew fox (not verified)

Rod Stewart has Scottish Heritage, he was born and raised in Kilburn.

Alex could reach out to him.

Tue, 2012-01-03 17:14 — mike cobley (not verified)

Oh this is delicious! So Eck's best buddy is Roops Murdoch, the father of the bilious and vile Fox News. Murdoch, a man who only needs to be described to be condemned. What kind of decent Scot would be happy to accept plaudits from such a man?