by Kevin Meagher
Ever since that bright Friday morning on 10 April 1992 I have maintained a blood oath. As I woke following Labour’s fourth consecutive general election defeat – robbed by Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid snipers at The Sun – who picked off our leaders and traduced our policies with heartless precision – I swore revenge.
So, in the spirit of “think global, act local”, I have never bought a copy of The Sun from that day to this. As an occupational hazard I read it from time to time, as I do The Times, but my conscience is clear; I never shelled out cash for either paper.
Rupert Murdoch is deprived of my few shillings in protest at his malign impact on our public life. The only flaw in my otherwise spotless moral universe is purchasing The Sunday Times. I have not worked out a way around that one yet (well it is the Sunday papers, after all).
But there’s no Sky TV in the Meagher household. Even though, following BSkyB’s acquisition, I now miss out on the oeuvre of cult US cable station HBO, I will not budge. My nineteen year boycott of (nearly) all things related to the Dirty Digger remains resolute.
I am not alone. For many on the left Murdoch is a member of the pantheon of the detested; up there with Thatcher, Tebbit and Powell. The late Dennis Potter even called the cancer that was killing him “Rupert” as a reminder of the man he despised for his coarsening effect on British popular culture.
But does there come a point when there is no more hate left to give? Over these past few weeks I have come to realise that my spleen is all vented out. I am content, rather, to win on points. The octogenarian Rupert Murdoch will now go to his maker under the cloud of an investigation of one kind or another.
He will be lucky to fend off investors who are tired of his antics and the way he runs his business like a personal fief; or US authorities who take a dim view of companies bribing public officials in whatever jurisdiction. The end game for Rupert Murdoch seems nigh.
It may well be a protracted retreat, but Rupert the bogeyman has been banished. To paraphrase Walter Bagehot, his appearance before the Commons media committee let daylight in on our lefty nightmares.
As he sat there we were able, at last, to peer behind the carapace of this once omnipotent tycoon – whose repute turns the blood of social democratic politicians’ cold – and instead see a befuddled, partly-deaf old geezer in over-sized glasses squinting back; struggling to hear, never mind answer the questions put to him. Is this the guy we’re supposed to be terrified of?
Nineteen years is a long time to wait, but revenge, like Hungarian sour cherry soup, is a dish best served cold.
But wait, what is this strange emotion I am now feeling? Is it, pity?
I actually think it is. But is it possible, as Sir Michael Jagger once put it, to have sympathy for the devil?
I found watching Murdoch before the culture committee made for slightly uncomfortable viewing. Seeing an old chap struggle to recall basic facts and articulate his case did not feel like a victory. Of course it may have all been a ruse – with Rupe adopting rope-a-dope tactics – but he seemed pretty convincing.
The younger me would never believe I could pen the words that follows, but on reflection, Murdoch has his good points. Not many, I grant you; but like any good iconoclastic Aussie, he thinks the British monarchy a ludicrous conceit and uses his papers to expose their cant and hypocrisy.
Likewise, he is a genuine, old-fashioned newspaper man. Murdoch cares about papers, (albeit he bothers far less about the quality of their journalism), and The Times is a valuable part of our national life and a paper that has given – and continues to give – Labour a fair hearing. But it relies on suckling the teat of The Sun for financial survival. Who on earth would take it on in today’s atrophying print media market? No Murdoch, no Thunderer. Great news, in turn, for the Telegraph and Daily Mail.
Even his impact on our politics merits careful revision. Murdoch is a very rich, highly driven and extremely covetous businessman who enjoys the thrill of the chase. As his slew of meetings with the British political class amply testifies, he recognises the need to butter-up politicians – and that his power – both overt and latent – always gets him heard (and often obeyed).
Does he really care who runs Britain though? At an ideological level, I doubt it. As a bog-standard fiscal conservative and famously reluctant taxpayer, he simply reckons (correctly) that the Tories will look after him better than Labour will. But men like Murdoch detest politicians of all hues. He is a good, old-fashioned meat and-two-veg megalomaniac. He has no time for the chicanery and accommodations of politics or (as he sees them), its sycophantic practitioners.
The strangest part of his evidence was when he spoke about Gordon Brown. He said he and Brown had been “friends” and that he respected his “values”. Of course this was probably a way of tweaking Gordon’s nose following his lashing of Murdoch the week before. But perhaps he recognised in Gordon Brown’s half-hearted courtship a kindred spirit; someone like himself for whom the relationship between moghul and premier is conducted behind rows of gritted teeth; entirely transactional and cold-blooded.
Oh, how I wanted him to sneer at our lowly elected representatives on the culture committee. But he didn’t. In fact, if anything, the encounter was a minor presentational triumph for him. Not an actual triumph – his responses and non-responses did little to advance his case and may have in fact left vital hostages to fortune – but the encounter humanised Murdoch in all his aged frailty.
Perhaps I am just going soft; but as the old Chinese proverb goes, if you are bent on revenge, first dig two graves. Murdoch is on the way out. There is no need for him to prey on our minds any more. Let others take up the mantle. A combination of shareholder action, public opprobrium and the Grim Reaper will now take care of him.
But I still won’t be buying The Sun.
Kevin Meagher is associate editor of Labour Uncut.
Tags: hacking, Kevin Meagher, News International, Rupert Murdoch
You talk about Brown’s half-hearted courtship with Murdoch? It seems to have been much more than that for Brown fell over backwards trying desperately to appease this man. There are many photos online with Brown and his wife entertaining the Murdoch’s even to the point where he was invited to his daughters funeral.
That is why Brown’s rant against Murdoch is pure hypocracy. At least Blair acknowledged that he did try to appease Murdoch. As always, Brown wants us to believe that he is a principled politician, yet all the evidence available tells us otherwise.
You stste that “For many on the left Murdoch is a member of the pantheon of the detested; up there with Thatcher, Tebbit and Powell. ”
and then leave it at that. You fail to expand on the fact that the dementded Thatcher based most of her policies directly on issues that were beneficial to Murdoch and hardly moved a muscle without firstly gaining Murdoch’s consent.
In this respect Cameron, not half as mad as Thatcher, tried his utmost to do the same. Dropping ministers, refusing to promote others, adjusted his policies,etc etc and still could not deliver his part of the bargain |(ie a Tory victory) such that Murdoch was deeply conserned for Cameron’s ability. He (through the Talentless Tart,Brooks,) instructed him to hire ‘Tapper’ Coulson, an idea which the political lightweight cameron, thought was genius because of the information that ‘tapper’ brought with him and the obvious stream of info that would come to hand on a regular basis through ‘Tapper’s’ connections still working for NI and still stealing info
You state that “For many on the left Murdoch is a member of the pantheon of the detested; up there with Thatcher, Tebbit and Powell. ”
and then leave it at that. You fail to expand on the fact that the dementded Thatcher based most of her policies directly on issues that were beneficial to Murdoch and hardly moved a muscle without firstly gaining Murdoch’s consent.
In this respect Cameron, not half as mad as Thatcher, tried his utmost to do the same. Dropping ministers, refusing to promote others, adjusted his policies,etc etc and still could not deliver his part of the bargain |(ie a Tory victory) such that Murdoch’s original doubts about cameron’s lack of ability were p5roven true even though he had (through the Talentless Tart,Brooks,) instructed him to hire ‘Tapper’ Coulson, an idea which the political lightweight cameron, thought was genius because of the information that ‘tapper’ brought with him and the obvious stream of info that would come to hand on a regular basis through ‘Tapper’s’ connections still working for NI and still ‘gaining’ info on a regular basis until the opposition party threw a searchlight on Murdodch, Brooks, ‘Tapper’, Cameron Osborne and the NOTW.
Wow,see how they run !!!
i don’t believe a word of what you have written here Meagher – not one word!
You are all in it up to your necks if the truth be known. The Labour party sucked up to Murdoch when he denounced support for the Conservatives and similarly you now stick the knife in when he turned against you.
Cheap-very cheap
Vern
In the 80’s Those On the far left in Britain little would say how the Sun teleing people how to vote was no Idfferent to Hitler abolishing democracy or free thought after winnin gin 1933, but were quite happy to Have chairman Mao’s little red book of China tell the Chinese that the y didin’t need escapism as their devotion to the revolution was the onyl thign they needed to believe in, telling hte public they are wrong to read the Suna s it printed lies about labour in the 92 election and that sun readers should aspire for something higher, which the left could decide what they liked seemed similar,and the sun didn’t win it, Labour would have lost that election even with the sun having not criticised them for years, and half the sun readers voted labour.
Vern – did you actually read my piece?! I was positing that Murdoch may be more nuanced than we like to assume. Would have happily stuck the knife in as you suggest at one time, but actually market forces will take care of him now.