Is this the beginning of the end of Rupert Murdoch's media empire?

Gordon Brown brands Murdoch a liar at Leveson
By Europe correspondent Lisa Millar, wires

Updated June 12, 2012 11:24:59

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Map: United Kingdom

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown has accused Rupert Murdoch of misleading the Leveson inquiry into media ethics over a disputed phone call between the two men.

When Mr Murdoch appeared before the inquiry he detailed a heated phone call he had with Mr Brown when The Sun switched its political allegiance to the Tories.

Mr Murdoch said the then-prime minister had threatened to go to war with News International before slamming the phone down.
Audio: Listen to Lisa Millar's report (AM)

But Mr Brown, who was the Labour prime minister from 2007 to 2010, has given a categorical denial that the phone call occurred, telling the inquiry: "This did not happen".

"I'm surprised first of all that there's a story that I slammed the phone down and secondly there's now a story from Mr Murdoch himself that I threatened him," he said.

"This did not happen. I have to say to you that there's no evidence that it happened, beyond Mr Murdoch's."

Overnight, a spokeswoman for Mr Murdoch confirmed he stood by his recollection of the phone call.

Mr Brown denied suggestions his relationship with Mr Murdoch was too close.

"The idea that I was influenced in what I did by Mr Murdoch's views is faintly ridiculous," he said.

"He probably would have had us at war with France and Germany, he would probably have had us as the 51st state of America, so the idea that I went along with Mr Murdoch's views is quite ridiculous.

The idea that I was influenced in what I did by Mr Murdoch's views is faintly ridiculous
~ Former British PM Gordon Brown

"Mr Murdoch has very strong views.

"He's entitled to these views.

"But the idea that I was following those views is just absolute nonsense. ....<cont>

Gordon Brown brands Murdoch a liar at Leveson

which is the cause of the Leveson Enquiry.

Don't let it worry you.

Rupert Murdoch pressured Tony Blair over Iraq, says Alastair Campbell
Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent
Guardian.co.uk, Friday 15 June 2012 19.30 BST

Murdoch joined an 'over-crude' attempt by US Republicans to accelerate British involvement in the Iraq war, Campbell says


Rupert Murdoch previously told the Leveson inquiry: 'I've never asked a prime minister for anything.' Photograph: Mike Theiler/EPA

Rupert Murdoch joined in an "over-crude" attempt by US Republicans to force Tony Blair to accelerate British involvement in the Iraq war a week before a crucial House of Commons vote in 2003, according to the final volumes of Alastair Campbell's government diaries.

In another blow to the media mogul, who told the Leveson inquiry that he had never tried to influence any prime minister, Campbell's diary says Murdoch warned Blair in a phone call of the dangers of a delay in Iraq. The disclosure by Campbell, whose diaries are serialised in the Guardian, will pile the pressure on Murdoch in light of his evidence to the Leveson inquiry.

The Cabinet Office released information on Friday that raised doubts about Murdoch's claim that Gordon Brown pledged to "declare war" on News Corporation after the Sun abandoned its support for Labour in September 2009. It supported Brown's claim that he never made such a threat by saying that the only phone call between the two men during the period took place on 10 November 2009 and focused on Afghanistan.

Murdoch tweeted in response: "I stand by every word is aid [sic] at Leveson." But there will be fresh questions about one of Murdoch's most memorable declarations from his appearance before the inquiry in April. The founder of News Corporation said: "I've never asked a prime minister for anything."

Campbell wrote that on 11 March 2003, a week before the Commons vote in which MPs voted to deploy British troops to Iraq, Murdoch intervened to try to persuade Blair to move more quickly towards war. "[Tony Blair] took a call from Murdoch who was pressing on timings, saying how News International would support us, etc," Campbell wrote. "Both TB and I felt it was prompted by Washington, and another example of their over-crude diplomacy. Murdoch was pushing all the Republican buttons, how the longer we waited the harder it got." The following day, 12 March, he wrote: "TB felt the Murdoch call was odd, not very clever."...<cont>