Leveson inquiry: Jeremy Hunt to face grilling over News Corp links

BELEAGUERED Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will appear before the Leveson Inquiry this week in one of its most high-profile hearings so far.

Mr Hunt will face a grilling on Thursday over his office’s links with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation during its bid to take over the satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

He will be challenged over whether his public expressions of support for the bid were compatible with the quasi-judicial role he was given by Prime Minister David Cameron.

There was unconfirmed speculation this weekend that Mr Cameron himself is due to appear two weeks later, on Thursday, 14 June.

Also giving evidence in the next few days will be Business Secretary Vince Cable, who was stripped of the role of deciding whether the bid could proceed last December after he was secretly recorded saying he had “declared war” on Mr Murdoch.

Former prime minister Tony Blair will face questions on Monday, when he is likely to be asked about the extent and nature of the government’s links with the Murdoch press during Labour’s 13 years in power.

Education Secretary Michael Gove and Home Secretary Theresa May will appear tomorrow and Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke on Wednesday.

Mr Hunt had asked for his appearance before the inquiry to be brought forward so he could give his side of the story as soon as possible, but was rebuffed by Lord Justice Leveson.

The inquiry has been presented with a cache of e-mails showing that News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel received inside information about the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s handling of the bid from Mr Hunt’s former adviser Adam Smith, who quit last month after admitting he went too far in acting as a contact point with the firm.