Alex Salmond urged to tell all about his relationship with Murdoch empire

ALEX Salmond is facing mounting pressure to reveal full details about his relationship with Rupert Murdoch’s News International when he appears before an inquiry into media standards this week.

Mr Salmond is due to appear before the Leveson inquiry on Wednesday, when he is expected to be asked to discuss issues linked to phone hacking.

The First Minister has insisted that he will wait until his appearance before the inquiry in London to reveal any further details about his links to Mr Murdoch.

Scottish Labour yesterday said that Mr Salmond would have to explain whether he had a role in lobbying the UK government over the tycoon’s ill-fated bid to take over BSkyB.

A party spokesman said: “There are significant questions for Alex Salmond to answer this week – not just finally revealing whether he was a victim of phone hacking, but serious explaining about why he offered to work as an undercover lobbyist for the takeover of BSkyB. Even after the Milly Dowler revelations that shook the country.”

Mr Salmond’s appearance at the judge-led inquiry comes as former prime minister Gordon Brown and Tory Chancellor George Osborne are today due to take the witness stand.

Prime Minister David Cameron will appear before Lord Leveson on Thursday, with his Lib Dem deputy Nick Clegg appearing on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the First Minister said: “Labour’s behaviour is childish, and their hypocrisy on the issue is legion – as, for example, a glance at the list of Rebekah Brooks’ meetings with senior Labour figures demonstrates.”