British government to pressure Murdoch to abandon BSkyB bid

Britain’s Conservative Party has indicated that it will support the opposition in calling for News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch to withdraw his bid “in the public interest”.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has indicated that it will back a Labour party motion calling on News Corps to withdraw its bid for BSkyB.

All the three major political parties in Britain – Labour, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats – are now putting pressure on News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch to abandon his takeover plans, reports the Independent.

A motioned tabled by Labour leader Ed Miliband is due before Parliament tomorrow, which reads that it is “in the public interest for Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation to withdraw their bid for BSkyB”, the Guardian reports.

Yesterday, the British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt referred News Corp’s attempt to buy the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB shares that it does not already own to the Competition Commission, reports RTÉ.

Tonight, Prime Minister David Cameron, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour Leader Ed Miliband will meet to discuss the phone-hacking scandal.

Earlier today, two senior Metropolitan Police officers – including its assistant commissioner John Yates – were due to appear before a House of Commons committee to face questioning on their dismal handling of the News of the World hacking scandal.

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