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31 July 2012

Boris invites Murdoch to the Olympics

News Corp head will be the Mayor's personal guest at Rebecca Adlington's swimming final.

By George Eaton

Boris Johnson appears determined to live up to his reputation as Rupert Murdoch’s greatest remaining ally in British politics. The Evening Standard reports that the Mayor of London has invited Murdoch and his wife, Wendi Deng, to be his personal guests at Rebecca Adlington’s swimming final this Friday.

It’s a further act of political differentiation by Boris, well aware that no cabinet minister could afford to be seen with Murdoch. The pair have long admired each other, with Murdoch recently declaring on Twitter that the Mayor “writes like a dream”, and Boris hailing Murdoch as a business genius during his appearance on Charlie Rose last month. That Boris is prepared to maintain their friendship, even with several of Murdoch’s former lieutenants soon to stand trial over phone-hacking, is evidence of what he regards as his political invincibility.

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