Who Are British Lawmakers To Judge Rupert Murdoch?

IBD Editorials ^ | May 2, 2012

[Kaslin]

Business: A committee in Britain's Parliament has decided that Rupert Murdoch is unfit to run an international corporation. And what experience do these men have that entitles them to make such a statement?

Six members of a 10-lawmaker committee believe Murdoch is responsible for a phone-hacking scandal that has rocked his British media group and say he "is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company."

According to the report, "News International and its parent News Corporation exhibited willful blindness, for which the companies' directors — including Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch — should ultimately take responsibility."

Had the lawmakers left it at that, they'd get little argument. The leadership has to accept responsibility.

But for the lawmakers to claim that the 81-year-old Murdoch should not be running a global enterprise such as News Corp. goes too far.

Five of the six committee members who endorsed the 85-page report are from the Labour Party. The sixth is a Liberal Democrat. The committee's four Conservatives, seeing a political hit job, refused to support it.

The crusade against Murdoch was led by Tom Watson. A seasoned businessman? Hardly.

[rockinqsranch]

More Leftist hit jobs attempting to force their way into more control for their agenda.

[stephenjohnbanker]

YEP

[smokingfrog]

I guess I missed it. Did Rupert personally order his employees to hack people’s phones?

[Vanders9]

That has not been proven, and in fact it would be very hard to prove. I personally would be very surprised if he had.

BUT, it doesnt matter. As the head of the company, Rupert is ultimately responsible. We are not talking about a few one off events here. This kind of behavior has been going on in several Murdoch titles for years. Decades in fact. It's inconceivable that Murdoch did not know that something illegal was going on. After all, he had the final say-so on whether stories were run or not. One considering factor is whether the story is true or not (if only to avoid litigation) and that means he must have asked how certain information was acquired.

I don't like the left making points like this. They have always hated Murdoch and this is obviously payback time for them. But at the same time, the right in the UK doesn't have a lot of time for Rupert either. He is not a popular man.

[the scotsman]

Vander, you are spot on.

But most Freepers have never been to the UK (as evidenced by the fact they seem to believe all the myths about us, esp the Muslim ones). Let alone know anything about our media and modern Britain. Thats not me being a pompous Limey, thats just the facts.

Frankly, most have no clue about the NOTW, The Sun, Sky TV, Rupert Murdoch’s controversial business career in the UK since the late 60’s.

And, as you said, how the man is widely disliked by the British public, across the political spectrum.

I am a lifelong Conservative and I detest the man. And I am old enough to remember what he did to John Profumo in the mid 70’s.