The Political Thread

[Roger Godpleton]

I agree. Coincidentally, I own a large stake in a dunking chair firm.

[Emperor]

A petition to get rid of Jeremy Hunt:

www.avaaz.org/en/fire_jeremy_hunt_2/

However, this may have largely implications:

Second, and potentially even more serious, the prime minister would be in jeopardy if the alleged support for the BSkyB bid proved to be part of a bigger deal between the Conservative leadership and News Corp. In its crudest form, the suggestion is that the Murdochs used the Sun to make sure that Gordon Brown was driven out of Downing Street so that the incoming Conservative government could deliver them a sequence of favours – a fair wind for them to take over BSkyB; the emasculation of the much resented Ofcom; and a severe funding cut to their primary broadcasting rival, the BBC.

This was the core of the toughest exchanges on Tuesday, as Robert Jay QC, for the inquiry, laid out fragments of evidence that suggest this big deal was made, and concluded: "It all falls together, doesn't it?" In reply, James Murdoch passionately denied that he would ever link his newspaper's endorsement of a political party to the commercial interests of his company. "I simply wouldn't do business that way."

Until Tuesday, all of the evidence for the big deal was circumstantial.

We knew that both Rupert and James Murdoch had complained publicly and bitterly that Ofcom was interfering in their business. This came to a head on 26 June 2009, when Ofcom announced it wanted to force BSkyB to sell its channels to rivals at far lower prices. Ten days later, on 6 July, Cameron announced that, if elected, he would abolish Ofcom.

Similarly, the Murdochs have launched a series of lacerating attacks on the BBC, arguing that its income should be cut and its commercial activity restricted. In March 2009, Cameron called for the BBC licence fee to be frozen. In May 2009, Hunt did the same. Days after James Murdoch delivered his famous MacTaggart lecture in August 2009 – in which he renewed his attack on Ofcom as well as the BBC – Hunt met News Corp officials in New York. He then wrote an article for the Sun attacking the BBC for accepting a rise in its licence fee that year and calling on it to cut back its commercial activities.

It was disclosed on Tuesday that days later, on 10 September, James Murdoch went to a private drinking club in Mayfair for an evening meeting with Cameron, during which he told him that the Sun would back the Tories in the next election.

Murdoch also disclosed on Tuesday that the BSkyB bid had been discussed at a formal News Corp meeting in Los Angeles a few weeks before this meeting. There is no evidence at this stage, however, that the bid was mentioned to Cameron.

The Sun then used its news columns to launch a sustained attack on Gordon Brown. Five months after the election, Cameron's government slashed Ofcom's budget by 28% and cut back its role; and slashed the BBC's income by 16% and cut back its commercial activity.

Tuesday's cache of emails about the BSkyB bid appears to fit into that sequence with a neatness that will alarm the government.

It will alarm them, too, that in the political heat of last July, Cameron gave Leveson terms of reference for this part of his inquiry, which are very broad: "To inquire into ... the relationships between national newspapers and politicians, and the conduct of each."

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/24/leveson-inquiry-murdoch-david-cameron

[House of Usher]

However, this may have largely implications:

Come again?

[The Legendary Shark]

If he could do that he wouldn't need the truss.

[Emperor]

However, this may have largely implications:

Come again?

Again? Once'd be nice.

Orrrrrrrrrrrr I meant "larger."

You decide.

[Roger Godpleton]

There's no need to be huffy. You made a mistake and people were confused by what you said as a consequence. You would find that people would be more willing to engage with you if you didn't act so angry all the time.

[Misanthrope]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-17857148

[Frank]

London 2012: the friendly games

Anyone who can explain why a few hundred ton of metal streaking toward the London skyline is any more dangerous than a few hundred ton of metal streaking toward the London skyline in a ball of flames wins a special prize.

[House of Usher]

In the movies any airborne target destroyed with missiles over a densely populated area is instantly vaporised, so I shouldn't worry about it.

[JOE SOAP]

Sounds like fun, definitely more than Olympics itself, maybe it's a new event like synchronised swimming.

[Frank]

Rumours that one of the artillery batteries will be manned by blind billionaire pop star Stig are, at this point, unconfirmed.

[The Legendary Shark]

Well I Guess we need something tangible to look at to keep us afraid seeing as how all these "terrorists" seem to be all but invisible...

[TordelBack]

Oh if only they'd had missile batteries at the Munich Olympics, or in London on 7th July '05, things could have been so exactly the same.  I hope they're considering mining the olympic harbour at Weymouth too, I've seen Speed 2. 

Also, I do wonder what blowing up a (say) fully-fueled 747 over the Stratford stadium would actually achieve.

[JOE SOAP]

Residential flats should have their own Citi-Def.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

Don't worry. These micro bots will save us! [ Or enslave us.] A lot smaller than missile systems. Science marches on to inevitable victory.

http://youtu.be/YQIMGV5vtd4