SIR John Major launched a bitter attack on News International yesterday, revealing how Rupert Murdoch warned him to switch policy on Europe or the Tories would lose the support of his newspapers.
Appearing at the Leveson inquiry into press ethics, the former prime minister recalled a dinner with the media mogul and his daughter Elisabeth in February 1997 – months before Labour won a landslide election victory with The Sun’s backing.
Sir John told the inquiry: “Mr Murdoch said he really didn’t like our European policies. This was no surprise to me…he wished me to change our European policies.
“If we couldn’t change our European policies, his papers could not and would not support the Conservative Government.”
Sir John said he believed what Mr Murdoch was “edging towards was a referendum on leaving the European Union”.
His account appeared to contradict Mr Murdoch’s evidence to the inquiry when he said: “I’ve never asked a Prime Minister for anything.”
It was the second time in two days that Mr Murdoch had been accused of lying, after Gordon Brown said he had never told the media baron he was “declaring war” on News International.
Sir John admitted he struggled in the shadow of his predecessor Margaret Thatcher who was admired by Mr Murdoch, and said that he suffered “hostile” coverage after becoming prime minister in 1990.
Mrs Thatcher, admired “buccaneering businessmen” who were prepared to take risks and they admired her, he said. Sir John also suggested that Tony Blair was more Right-wing than him, so he was not surprised that The Sun switched its backing to Labour before the 1997 election.
He said: “I remember joking once that I had gone swimming in the River Thames and left my clothes on the bank, and when I got back Mr Blair was wearing them.
“I don’t think it was very surprising that they (The Sun) decided to support Labour.”
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