View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. The Staggers
13 April 2023

Did Rupert Murdoch snub Liz Truss?

Unlike other Tory PMs, she never got a chance to meet the media magnate.

By The Chatterer

New transparency data from the Cabinet Office shows that it took Rishi Sunak less than two months to find some time in his busy prime ministerial schedule for Rupert Murdoch. Quelle surprise.

On 21 December Sunak had a dinner with Murdoch. The meeting’s purpose? “To discuss the PM’s priorities.” They were joined by other senior figure’s from Murdoch’s media businesses: Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, Rebekah Brooks, head of News UK, and the editors of the Times (Tony Gallagher), Sunday Times (Emma Tucker, who has since taken charge of Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal) and the Sun (Victoria Newton).

During his first few months in the job Sunak also met journalists and executives from Channel 4, the Spectator, the Daily Mail, ITV, the BBC and the Daily Telegraph.

[See also: Labour’s attack ads against Rishi Sunak are disgraceful]

For the Chatterer, however, the standout fact from the transparency data concerned Liz Truss, whose meetings as prime minister were also disclosed. It took Truss less than two weeks to meet Thomson, the News Corp chief, to “discuss the priorities of the new government”. She also recorded meetings with several senior editors and journalists at the Tory party conference.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

But, it seems, Truss was not in office long enough to score a meeting with Murdoch. So, using data compiled last year by Press Gazette and adding on recent disclosures, the scores for recent Tory PM meetings with Murdoch stand at: Boris Johnson – 6; David Cameron – 3; Theresa May – 1; Rishi Sunak – 1 (and counting); Liz Truss – 0.

A badge of honour for Truss? Perhaps. But she might not see it that way.

[See also: Labour’s Sunak adverts show Keir Starmer has finally decided to gamble]

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Topics in this article : , ,
Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU