It’s not just editorial changes at all the papers at Wapping, now News International itself is no more. This morning it became News UK, apparently so named to reflect Murdoch’s “ongoing commitment” to the UK.
Which will upset the haters…
Apparently the new logo is based on the handwriting of Rupert Murdoch and his father.
Softer and slightly less Orwellian…
In spite of his rough ride at Leveson it seems Gordon Brown got off lightly considering the evidence that wasn’t heard by the inquiry. Guido understands that Linklaters, the law firm contracted by News International to conduct interviews with employees over phone-hacking, possesses a wealth of evidence on the Prime Mentalist that Leveson decided was outside his remit.
Sources close to Linklaters whisper to Guido that while Leveson only asked for specific evidence from 2008 onwards, they collected testimony from Fred Michel dating back to the crucial election-that-never-was period in 2007 that was not heard at the inquiry. This includes embarrassing details of failed attempts by Brown’s aides to lobby Murdoch for support and more significantly evidence that sources at the law firm believe show Brown lied under oath when he denied the truth of the infamous ‘declare war’ phone call. If anyone at Linklaters feels like doing the public a service, they know what to do…
Some strange goings on over at the Plaid Cymru annual conference in Wales today. As Guido reported earlier they kicked things off promising to magic some growth by reducing oil usage, and now they have been graced by the presence of a somewhat unexpected guest:
Just seen News International's new communications chief Guto Harri at Plaid's conference in Brecon.
— Adrian Masters (@adrianmasters84) September 14, 2012
As if that were not enough Plaid’s new leader Leanne Wood has given her maiden speech, telling conference goers:
New Plaid leader Leanne Wood: "What you see is what you get. No varnish, no veneer, just Wood."
— PoliticsHome (@politicshome) September 14, 2012
Moving swiftly on…
Celeb scourge of the Murdochs Steve Coogan has not been shy of launching scathing attacks on the media mogul over phone hacking:
“This is Rupert Murdoch’s toxic legacy.”
“The closure of the News of the World is a small victory for decency and humanity.”
“I will do everything in my power to keep [phone-hacking] in the popular imagination.”
“News International’s behaviour is not unlike a protection racket”.
In other news the first episode of Coogan’s hilarious new series Places of my Life airs on Sky Atlantic at 9pm tonight.
Guido wonders whether he’ll tell the one about the time he took a huge cheque from Uncle Rupe…
On the specific point of misleading the DCMS committee James Murdoch is cleared. The report, on the basis of party political split vote, does however claim that Rupert Murdoch is “not a fit person” to exercise stewardship of a major international company and that James Murdoch showed “wilful ignorance” of the extent of phone hacking during 2009 and 2010. Tory members of the committee are basically saying Watson went over the top and they could not give unanimous backing to the report.
Download the full report here.
