George Osborne: No secret BSkyB talks
GEORGE Osborne dismissed as “fantasy” yesterday claims that the Tories did a deal with Rupert Murdoch to get support at the last election.
At the Leveson Inquiry the Chancellor rejected allegations that he held secret talks about a News Corp bid for full control of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
He denied meeting the Murdochs at Davos, Switzerland, before the election in January 2010 to discuss the bid.
Mr Osborne told the inquiry at the High Court: “I regarded the whole thing as a political inconvenience.”
Asked if he had attended a meeting he said: “No, it’s not true.” He said he had met Mr Murdoch, son James and top executive Rebekah Brooks with David Cameron in Davos in 2009, but talks had centred on world economics.
He said only a “real fantasist” would believe rumours of a conspiracy to oust Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable because he opposed the bid.
He was also quizzed about recruiting ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson as Tory communications chief.
I thought Andy Coulson had that experience of someone who had run a large newsroom
Mr Osborne said: “I thought Andy Coulson had that experience of someone who had run a large newsroom. He struck me as someone who shared my Conservative values.”