(Britain's Business Secretary) Vince Cable (says he has) 'Declared War' On Murdoch Empire

[Turborama]

Source: Sky News

Ruth Barnett, Sky News Online

Business Secretary Vince Cable has told the Daily Telegraph he has "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch's media empire. The remarks were not included in the paper's coverage of Mr Cable's comments last night.

The BBC claims a whistleblower passed on a copy of the transcript.

Mr Cable appears to have told undercover reporters: "I don't know if you have been following what has been happening with the Murdoch press, where I have declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win."

He continued: "I have blocked it using the powers that I have got and they are legal powers that I have got. I can't politicise it but from the people that know what is happening this is a big, big thing. His whole empire is now under attack... So there are things like that we do in government, that we can't do... all we can do in opposition is protest".

The comments relate to http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/European-Commission-Clears-News-Corp-Bid-To-Acquire-BSkyB/Article/201012315863484?lpos=Business_First_Buisness_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15863484_European_Commission_Clears_News_Corp_Bid_To_Acquire_BSkyB">News Corp's bid to take full ownership of BSkyB, the parent company of Sky News.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/David-Cameron-And-Nick-Clegg-Hold-A-News-Conference-And-Comment-On-Vince-Cables-Remarks/Article/201012315863267?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15863267_David_Cameron_And_Nick_Clegg_Hold_A_News_Co

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They're having conniptions about it right now on Sky News.

The BBC piece...

What Vince Cable said about Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB

The Telegraph this morning chose not to publish the most explosive part of the remarks made by Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, to undercover reporters.

A whistleblower has passed me the full interview. Here are the excised comments by Mr Cable.

"I am picking my fights, some of which you may have seen, some of which you may haven't seen. And I don't know if you have been following what has been happening with the Murdoch press, where I have declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win".

=snip=

"I have blocked it using the powers that I have got and they are legal powers that I have got. I can't politicise it but from the people that know what is happening this is a big, big thing. His whole empire is now under attack... So there are things like that we do in government, that we can't do... all we can do in opposition is protest".

A lot more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/12/what_vince_cable_said_about_ru.html

Earlier related OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4667816">Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable: I could bring down the British Government

[Turborama]

1. Sky News has got the audio now, (probably given to them by the Torygraph) and anchor is NOT happy

Kay Burley keeps going on and on and on to viewers and people she's interviewing about how "unfair" what he said was. :cry:

Also, they're going on about it as if criticizing Rupert Murdoch's empire is the sort of behavior which can/will being down the ConDem coalition and bring about an early election.

[Maineman]

2. Kill FOX !

Someone in this country should sue FOX for conspiracy to misinform the public about numerous serious issues such as global warming and health care reform.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. What we need is a Ministry of Truth

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Why don't you do it?

[Turborama]

4. Torygraph: Vince Cable: I have declared war on Rupert Murdoch (audio)

Vince Cable has “declared war” on Rupert Murdoch, the media tycoon, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Audio and article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/liberaldemocrats/8217253/Vince-Cable-I-have-declared-war-on-Rupert-Murdoch.html?utm_source=Telegraph&utm_medium=Tweetdeck

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. As Peston points out, this may make it hard for Cable to be allowed to make the decision

The disclosure of Mr Cable's private views on Mr Murdoch and the proposed takeover of BSkyB makes it extremely difficult for him to fulfil his role as the ultimate arbiter of whether the deal should proceed under the 2002 Enterprise Act.

News Corporation is bound to challenge his impartiality.

He is due to receive a report from Ofcom, the media regulator, on the impact on plurality of the bid by the end of the year. After that he has to decide whether to refer the deal to the Competition Commission.

If Mr Cable does ask for an investigation by the Competition Commission, it would ultimately be his decision whether the deal should be permitted, once he has received the advice of the Competition Commission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/12/what_vince_cable_said_about_ru.html

Which is a shame. Almost any other senior politician in the coalition is more likely to decide in favour of Murdoch.

[Turborama]

6. Hearing the way this was done and listening to the tape reminds me of James O'Keefe's methodology.

I'm trying to figure out a link and the only one I can come up with so far is that Faux (who ran the heavily edited ACORN tapes ad-infinitum until they were defunded) and BSkyB are both owned by the Murdochs.


ETA

The question is, how long will the coalition survive without him?

Daily Mail tweeted about 45 minutes ago that he's resigned, might be wishful thinking, might not: http://twitter.com/DMReporter/status/17248349707046912#

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. They seem to have tried it on another Lib Dem MP too

It was one with a minor role in government, whose name didn't ring a bell, and who said a couple of women had come to his MPs surgery a few weeks ago and asked similar questions, and he thought it was the same people. I heard this on the radio a few hours ago, but can't find the story on the net yet.

According to the BBC, Cable is meeting with Nick Clegg now. Could be a 'should I resign?' meeting.

Update: BBC's Nick Robinson says Cable will not be resigning from the cabinet (though that doesn't rule out him stepping aside for the Murdoch decision).

1735: Vince Cable is not resigning from the cabinet, BBC political editor Nick Robinson is told. The decision on whether he stays on as business secretary is unclear, he adds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11566509

[Turborama]

11. The Culture Secretary is going to take over the Murdoch decision and all other media related matters

Adam Boulton on Sky reading a text message from number 10 just then. Cable will stay on as Business Secretary.

Who's the Culture Secretary and what decision do you think they're likely to make?

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. That's what I was afraid of - Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary

(subject of an appropriate spoonerism a couple of weeks ago)

I think Hunt would rule in favour of Murdoch. I was worried about his attitude to Murdoch last year.

[Turborama]

15. Thanks for those links. Here's something I was wondering: Was the Telegraph sting illegal?

The Telegraph journalists who posed as constituents to entrap MPs may have committed a criminal offence

David Howarth
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 December 2010 16.29 GMT

Two journalists misrepresent themselves as constituents of members of parliament to gain access to appointments at their advice surgeries, and proceed secretly to record their conversations with the MPs – conversations from which their editors then quote selectively in prominent front-page stories. Is this ethical? Is it even legal?

The Press Complaints Commission's code forbids the use of subterfuge, misrepresentation and clandestine recording devices, except where the publication is in the public interest and the information cannot be obtained any other way. The public interest includes "preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual or organisation".

That might sound promising for the journalists. The trouble is, however, that they would have to point to some specific prior action or statement of the MPs concerned that had created a misleading impression. Collective cabinet responsibility, for example, does not mean that everyone in the cabinet is claiming to agree with cabinet decisions. It means only that ministers agree not to contradict them in public.

Where the journalists' subterfuge, misrepresentation and use of clandestine devices themselves create public dissension from cabinet decisions that otherwise would not exist, the journalists cannot claim that they were acting to prevent a pre-existing misleading impression. The public contradiction is entirely of the journalists' own making. One cannot claim to be a hero by attempting to rescue a person one has just pushed into a lake.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/22/telegraph-journalists-sting-mps

[Hawkeye-X]

10. The courts should ignore the 2002 Enterprise Act

in favor of destroying the hell out of Murdoch and his evil empire.

I'm hoping some liberal corporation in the UK will buy a small stake, preventing Murdoch from owning it outright.

[Turborama]

7. News Corp "shocked and dismayed" & express concern about "fairness and due process"

Yeah, we all know how concerned they are about "fairness & due process".

News Corp "shocked and dismayed" by Cable comments

11:50pm GMT+0800
LONDON | Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:06am EST

(Reuters) - Media group News Corp said on Tuesday it was "shocked and dismayed" at reports that British Business Secretary Vince Cable had spoken of declaring war on company head Rupert Murdoch.

"News Corporation is shocked and dismayed at the reports of Mr Cable's comments. They raise serious questions about fairness and due process," it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas; editing by Keith Weir)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BK3Y820101221

[Turborama]

12. Guardian Live Blog: Cable survives - but only just.

5.49pm: Cable survives - but only just. He has been reprimanded by Downing Street, and he has lost responsibility for any decisions relating to the News Corporation bid for BSkyB. Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, will take charge of this.

This is a serious embarrassment. Robert Peston was making the point earlier that the News Corporation takeover is the biggest going on in Britain at the moment. A business secretary without the ability to get involved in that will look emasculated, Peston suggested.

Sky's Adam Boulton has just said that he thinks Vince Cable's reprieve may be a short one. David Cameron said recently that he wants David Laws back in government soon. The standards and privileges committee is due to publish its report on the expenses allegations that led to Laws's resignation from cabinet earlier in the new year. Provided that its criticisms are not severe, Laws should be free to return to government. Boulton thinks Laws will become the business secretary at some point next year.

David Cameron managed to get this sorted out before the start of the 6pm news. As Downing Street crisis management goes, that's pretty nifty work.

5.45pm: Downing Street has just issued this statement.


Following comments made by Vince Cable to the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister has decided that he will play no further part in the decision over News Corporation's proposed takeover of BSkyB.

In addition, all responsibility for competition and policy issues relating to media, broadcasting, digital and telecoms sectors will be transferred immediately to the secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

This includes full responsibility for OFCOM's activities in these areas.

The prime minister is clear that Mr Cable's comments were totally unacceptable and inappropriate.

Live blog regularly updated here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/dec/21/cameron-clegg-press-conference

That't it then, OFCOM goes to a Neo-Thatcherite, "Faux News UK" coming soon...

[LeftishBrit]

14. Reminds me of the sort of thing that happened with Thatcher's 'Wet' (moderate) Cabinet Ministers

E.g. in Thatcher's first term, Cabinet Minister James Prior dared to criticize Maggie's handling of British Steel - which she ultimately succeeded in destroying. She carpeted him, but reprieved him - temporarily. Her comment was: 'We all make mistakes now and then. I think it was a mistake, and Jim Prior was very, very sorry indeed for it, and very apologetic. But you don't just sack a chap for one mistake.' It seems amazing that an adult, let alone a high-ranking politician, was prepared to put up with being scolded in that patronizing way, but she did have a mesmerizing effect on her underlings. He stayed - for a bit. It wasn't long before he did go. I doubt that it will be long for Cable, either.