Rupert Murdoch launches attack on EU 'nonsense' in the Mail on Sunday
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Version 0 of 1. What’s with Rupert Murdoch and the Mail on Sunday? Eight days ago, the MoS’s political editor, Simon Walters, reported that Murdoch had changed his mind about the European Union. The man who controls the Times, Sunday Times and the Sun had “abandoned his plan to campaign for Britain to withdraw from the EU”. Murdoch reacted by tweeting: “Weird leap by Mail on Sunday alleging a big u-turn by me in supporting Brit staying in EU. Misunderstanding somewhere”. Undaunted by that insult, Walters wrote this Sunday about “animated exchanges at a dinner hosted by Mr Murdoch... for senior executives of his UK media empire”. The article pointed out that justice secretary and former Times journalist Michael Gove was present along with “several people... strongly in favour of leaving the EU”. Walters cited “one insider” as saying that the sceptics said “it was vital” that Murdoch’s “papers were free to retain the option of campaigning to leave the EU – even if only to get more concessions from Brussels”. And he went on to cite “a source close to Mr Murdoch” who he quoted as saying: “Rupert was happy with that – but it doesn’t change the reality, which is that he is no longer in favour of leaving the EU”. Murdoch’s response was another, and much sharper, critical tweet: “More nonsense in Mail on Sunday about my views on Europe. Very different in quality from Daily Mail”. In both cases, note, he did not state what those views are. So score one for the Mail on Sunday. Note also that his tweet came two days after the news that the Mail on Sunday’s circulation had surpassed that of Murdoch’s Sun on Sunday. Score two for the MoS. Moreover, it is very unusual for Murdoch to respond to press stories about him. If he did, he would bring Twitter to a halt! So Walters, a former Sun political staffer incidentally, has clearly pushed a button. Score three for the MoS. As for Murdoch’s jibe about the difference in “quality” between the Mail titles, that was calculated to annoy the MoS editor, Geordie Greig. Then again, Murdoch has always admired the Mail’s editor, Paul Dacre, having once tried to persuade him to edit the Times, an offer Dacre wisely rejected. I look forward to next week’s Mail on Sunday for round three in the battle. |