13 June, 2012

Major whinng

The Leveson Enquiry, a long-running investigation into the relations between government and the press in Britain, seems to hold the Westminster Village in breathless excitement, while leaving the vast majority of people indifferent. It certainly seems to generate more heat than light.

Latest up was Sir John Major, one of the weakest Prime Ministers we have ever had. According to his testimony he invited Mr Murdoch to dinner in February 1997 and was told that the Murdoch papers would not support the administration while it pursued its European policies.

And this is supposed to be something of an indictment of Murdoch.

Hell, if Major had invited me to dinner in 1997 I should have told him I wouldn't support him unless he changed his European policies. I think Murdoch is to be applauded.

Major was out a few months later. But his demise was not caused by the Murdoch press, it was because the British people were fed up with him and his party, and, in part, because of Europe. And we had a glossy alternative in the form of Tony Blair, who it turned out wasn't much different.

It's a shame to see Sir John whining about this15 years later, but really his memory should be a bit clearer.

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