John Major at the Leveson Enquiry
This is an extract from the BBC’s report on John Major appearing at the Leveson Enquiry.
Rupert Murdoch warned John Major to switch policy on Europe or his papers would not support him, the ex-prime minister has told the Leveson Inquiry.
Sir John recalled the exchange from a private meeting in 1997, which he said he had not spoken about before.
Later that year, his Conservative party lost power to Labour, with the Sun backing his rival Tony Blair.
Sir John said he was subjected to some “hurtful” press coverage while he was PM, but was “too sensitive” at times.
In about 1997, I was at a meeting, when John Major gave his view on the world. At that meeting, he said that “The Times, which used to be a newspaper, had accused him of dying his hair.” He then pointed to his grey hair and said. “Would anybody die it this colour?”
The Anonymous Widower 
This is the Last Straw . . . If the Chief Justice, Lord Leveson gives credence to the evidence of a Conservative PM etal {as well a Labour PM & family}, then Murdoch is not a fit & proper person to be in charge of any Media Group in the future, anywhere in the free world.
No individual should threaten, or hold a sovereign state to such a threat, based upon what events or policy they want. How dare Mudoch do that . . . Power Corrupts . . .
This is galling, for someone {Murdoch}, who once had world respect as a great reporter of the world, to try to influence events {as against report events} . . . of course Murdoch is innocent {and may well be declared innocent }, until Lord Leveson brings down his rulings. However, many of the people in this group have been charged by the Police. Justice will be done, the Great Pillar of English Law.
What galls me, is that the great peoples that gave democracy, the Magna Charta, signed on the fields of Runnymede . . . is being threatened, to be held to ransom from foreign owners.
Unfortunately Fleet Street, has a past, where foreigners see ownership of the press to usurp themselves upon Freedom of the Press & try to get into English Society via the power of the Press.
Freedom of the Press, is to Report : without fear or favour what happens . . . within the Rule of Law. The First Principle of Law is one of the Pillars of the Magna Charta : where everyone is protected against these types of actions of Power Corrupts.
Comment by Steam Lover | June 12, 2012 |
I suspect at that time, Murdoch had met Blair and realised here was a man with which he could do business. In the end Murdoch shafted a good man, Major, and gave us the two worst Prime Ministers, since Lord North.
Comment by AnonW | June 13, 2012 |