Party leaders unite against Murdoch

[cal04]

Rare show of common resolve as MPs prepare to call for News Corp to drop BSkyB takeover bid
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/party-leaders-unite-against-murdoch-2312696.html

All three main political parties will today unite against the man they have spent decades wooing in an unprecedented attack on Rupert Murdoch and his business empire. The party leaders will order their MPs to vote for a motion calling for Mr Murdoch to abandon his takeover bid for BSkyB in the wake of the hacking scandal.

The show of unity came after a dramatic intervention by David Cameron. He made the decision after realising he could lose the vote in the House of Commons in the face of opposition from Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The mood in Downing Street was said to be "grim" yesterday.

The motion – which is now certain to be passed by an overwhelming majority – significantly increases the pressure on News Corp to abandon its bid for BSkyB entirely, amid still growing allegations of widespread corporate mis governance at its UK subsidiary News International.

[Matilda]

1. And yet, the politicians were prepared to ignore the thousands

who signed petitions worldwide against Murdoch's takeover of BSkyB.

Politicians like to kid themselves that they can use Murdoch, but we - the ignorant masses - know that the boot has always been on the other foot.

I have an awful feeling that somehow Murdoch will claw his way out of this, but until he does, I'm enjoying a pleasant feeling of Schadenfreude.