‘Most humble’ Murdoch pelted with foam in Commons

RUPERT Murdoch was pelted with a white substance this afternoon as he appeared before MPs declaring: “This is the most humble day of my life”.

Mr Murdoch’s wife Wendi and his son James jumped to his defence as the attack was launched as the final questions were being asked by MPs.

The hearing was suspended as a man wearing a checked shirt with what appeared to be foam splashed across his face was detained by police.

Mr Murdoch, 80, was apparently pelted with a plate of foam.

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MP Chris Bryant condemned the attack in which he said the media mogul had the plate pushed into his face.

James Murdoch was in mid-sentence as the attacked was launched.

Wendi Murdoch, who had sat behind her husband throughout his appearance before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, appeared to strike back at the assailant in defence of her husband.

The hearing resumed ten minutes after the attack with Mr Murdoch now wearing shirt sleeves but apparently unharmed.

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Eyewitnesses said a member of the audience sat at the back of the room stood up and walked around to the front where Mr Murdoch was giving evidence and threw what appeared to be a paper plate covered in shaving foam at him.

As the protester was being taken from the room, Mr Murdoch’s wife threw the empty paper plate at him.

The session was then suspended.

As the man was being led away in handcuffs escorted by a single police officer, he refused to give his name, saying: “As Mr Murdoch himself said, I’m afraid I cannot comment on an ongoing police investigation.”

His shirt and hair was covered in what appeared to be white shaving foam.

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Shortly after the foam attack, police were seen leading someone through the glass lobby of Portcullis House towards the underpass which leads to the Houses of Parliament.

An unmarked police car with flashing blue lights was seen arriving at the main entrance to the Palace of Westminster.

The alleged perpetrator was named on Twitter as Jonnie Marbles.

Marbles, who describes himself as an activist and comedian, wrote on the website just before the incident: “It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat.”

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The Independent newspaper’s Whitehall editor Oliver Wright said: “If you are facing the way the Murdochs were facing, he came from the left-hand side.

“The police were on the other side of the room and this rather overweight copper, as they tend to be round here, rushed over but Wendi (Rupert Murdoch’s wife) got to him first. She hit him with what appeared to be a paper.”

When the hearing resumed, Labour MP Tom Watson, a vociferous critic of News International, concluded his questioning by telling Mr Murdoch: “Your wife has a very good left hook.”

The start of the keenly-awaited hearing in the Wilson Room of Portcullis House was also briefly disrupted as protesters were removed.

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The fact that one remained and was able to launch his attack is likely to be the subject of an urgent review of security by Westminster authorities.

During the hearing, Mr Murdoch admitted mistakes were made over the phone hacking scandal as he repeatedly apologised and declared: “This is the most humble day of my life.”

He said he had been misled and people he had trusted with his British newspaper business had been betrayed.

But he said he had not considered resigning, adding: “Because I feel that people I trusted let me down and they behaved disgracefully, betrayed the company and me and it is for them to pay.”

He added: “I am the best person to clean this up.”

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His son James Murdoch, News Corp’s deputy chief operating officer, opened the hearing by saying how sorry he and his father were to the victims in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

“It is a matter of great regret of mine, my father’s and everyone at News Corporation. These actions do not live up to the standards our company aspires to everywhere around the world,” he said.

“It is our determination both to put things right, make sure these things don’t happen again, and to be the company that I know that we have always aspired to be.”

James Murdoch told the committee the company acted “swiftly” as soon as it became aware of fresh evidence over phone hacking following a series of civil actions in 2010, particularly the case involving actress Sienna Miller.

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It became apparent that more people than originally believed were victims of the practice, he added.

Mr Murdoch Jnr said: “Subsequent to our discovery of that information in one of these civil trials at the end of 2010, which I believe was the Sienna Miller case, the company immediately went to look at additional records around the individual involved, the company alerted the police and restarted, on that basis, the investigation that is now under way.”

He said the company had apologised “unreservedly, which I repeat today,” to phone hacking victims.

He added: “The company acted as swiftly and transparently as possible.”

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Mr Watson also asked Rupert Murdoch when he became aware that criminality was “endemic” at the News of the World.

“Endemic is a very hard, a very wide ranging word,” he replied. “I also have to be very careful not to prejudice the course of justice that is taking place now.

“That that has been disclosed I became aware of as it became apparent.

“I was absolutely shocked, appalled and ashamed when I heard about the Milly Dowler case only two weeks ago.”

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Questioned about the 200 journalists who lost their jobs when the News of the World was closed down, Mr Murdoch senior replied: “When a company closes down it is natural for people to lose their jobs.”

He said they had tried to secure employment for those people in other divisions of the company.

Explaining why the newspaper was shut down, he said: “We felt ashamed at what happened. We had broken our trust with our readers.”

But Mr Murdoch denied that he was ultimately responsible for the “fiasco”.

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Asked by Labour’s Jim Sheridan who was, Mr Murdoch replied: “The people that I trusted and then, maybe, the people they trusted.”

Before the interruption, James Murdoch opened by saying how sorry he and his father were to the victims in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

“It is a matter of great regret of mine, my father’s and everyone at News Corporation. These actions do not live up to the standards our company aspires to everywhere around the world,” he said.

“It is our determination both to put things right, make sure these things don’t happen again, and to be the company that I know that we have always aspired to be.”

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James Murdoch told the committee the company acted “swiftly” as soon as it became aware of fresh evidence over phone hacking following a series of civil actions in 2010, particularly the case involving actress Sienna Miller.

It became apparent that more people than originally believed were victims of the practice, he added.

Mr Murdoch Jnr said: “Subsequent to our discovery of that information in one of these civil trials at the end of 2010, which I believe was the Sienna Miller case, the company immediately went to look at additional records around the individual involved, the company alerted the police and restarted, on that basis, the investigation that is now under way.”

He said the company had apologised “unreservedly, which I repeat today,” to phone hacking victims.

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He added: “The company acted as swiftly and transparently as possible.”

Asked by Labour MP Tom Watson whether he had been “misled” by senior employees, Mr Murdoch senior replied: “Clearly.”

Mr Watson pointed out that former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks admitted in 2003 that police were paid for information.

Mr Murdoch senior said: “I am now aware of that, I was not aware at the time. I’m also aware that she amended that considerably very quickly afterwards.”

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Mr Watson said: “I think she amended it seven or eight years afterwards but did you or anyone else in your organisation investigate it at the time?”

Mr Murdoch replied: “No. I didn’t know of it.

“I’m sorry, if I can just say something and this is not as an excuse, maybe it’s an explanation of my laxity.

“The News of the World is less than 1% of our company. I employ 53,000 people around the world who are proud and great and ethical and distinguished people, professionals in their work.

“I’m spread watching and appointing people whom I trust to run those divisions.”

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James Murdoch told the committee: “I can tell you that the critical new facts as I saw them and the company saw them really emerged in the production of documentary information or evidence in these civil trials at the end of 2010.

“And the duration from 2007 to 2010, and the length of time it took for that to come clear and for that real evidence to be there, is a matter of deep frustration - I have to tell you I sympathise with the frustration of this committee.

“It’s a matter of real regret that the facts could not emerge and could not be gotten to, to my understanding, faster.”

He was asked by committee chair John Whittingdale which News of the World staff, apart from Clive Goodman, were involved in phone hacking.

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“There have been a number of arrests of former News of the World employees,” Mr Murdoch said.

“These are matters for current criminal investigations and I think understandably it’s difficult for me to comment in particular on some of those individuals.”

Asked why he had not sacked News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck after the Max Mosley case, when the judge found he had blackmailed two prostitutes involved, Rupert Murdoch replied: “I have never heard of him.”

He acknowledged that a review of News International emails by former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald’s review found evidence of “indirect hacking, breaches of national security and evidence of serious crime”.

“He did indeed,” he said.

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James Murdoch said his father was told of an out-of-court settlement with Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor for phone hacking only after it became public in 2009.

“Please understand that an out-of-court settlement of civil claim of that nature and of that quantum is something that normally in a company of our size the responsible executives in the country would be authorised to make,” he said.

“It is below the approval thresholds that would have to go to my father as chairman and chief executive of the global companies.”

Mr Watson asked Rupert Murdoch when he became aware that criminality was “endemic” at the News of the World.

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“Endemic is a very hard, a very wide ranging word,” he replied. “I also have to be very careful not to prejudice the course of justice that is taking place now.

“That that has been disclosed I became aware of as it became apparent.

“I was absolutely shocked, appalled and ashamed when I heard about the Milly Dowler case only two weeks ago.”

Questioned about the 200 journalists who lost their jobs when the News of the World was closed down, Mr Murdoch senior replied: “When a company closes down it is natural for people to lose their jobs.”

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He said they had tried to secure employment for those people in other divisions of the company.

Explaining why the newspaper was shut down, he said: “We felt ashamed at what happened. We had broken our trust with our readers.”

At one point James Murdoch stepped in to request that questions were directed to him rather than his father.

“Mr Watson and Mr Chairman, I think it would be helpful to the committee if you would like to go through any of the particular detail about why decisions were made by the management team of News International and the precise chronology it would be more helpful if I could answer those questions as the Chief Executive of the regional business across Europe.

“I have somewhat more proximity to it.”

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But Mr Watson replied: “Your father is responsible for corporate governance and serious wrongdoing has been brought about in the company.

“It is revealing in itself what he does not know and what executives chose not to tell him.”

Rupert Murdoch denied that he was ultimately responsible for the “fiasco”.

Asked by Labour’s Jim Sheridan who was, Mr Murdoch replied: “The people that I trusted and then, maybe, the people they trusted.”

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He said he had worked with Les Hinton, who quit his role as chief executive officer of Dow Jones and Co last week, for 52 years, adding: “I would trust him with my life.”

Mr Murdoch revealed he had been invited to have a cup of tea as a thank you by the Prime Minister within days of the general election last year.

He admitted he had entered No 10 through the back door after being asked to, he believed, to avoid photographers.

“I just did what I was told,” he added.

“That’s the choice of the Prime Minister, or their staff, or whoever does these things.

“I was asked would I please come in through the back door.

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“I was invited within days (of the election) to have a cup of tea to be thanked for the support by Mr Cameron.

“No other conversation took place.”

He said he was also invited by former prime minister Gordon Brown “many times” and had also gone in through the back door.

He denied imposing any “preconditions” on party leaders before giving them support.

Mr Murdoch insisted he knew of no evidence that the phones of 9/11 victims had been hacked but “absolutely” would launch a full investigation if any revelations came to light.

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Conservative MP Therese Coffey asked who decided that the News of the World should be shut down.

Mr Murdoch senior replied: “It was a result of a discussion between my son and I and senior executives and Ms Brooks one morning.

“We called the board of News Corporation, the whole board, to seek their agreement.”

Pressed on whether it was a commercial decision, he replied: “Far from it.”

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James Murdoch was asked for more information on Mr Taylor’s out-of-court settlement.

“The underlying interception was not a disputed fact,” he said.

“It was the advice and the clear view of the company that, if litigated, the company was almost certain to lose that case.”

The company was advised that it could lose between £500,000 and £1 million in legal expenses and damages if it went to court, he said.

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“This was in the context of the first half of 2008 and this was my first real involvement with any of these issues, where there was no reason at the time to believe that the issue of these voicemail interceptions was anything but a settled matter and that it was in the past after the successful prosecution of the two individuals we discussed, as well as the resignation of the editor,” he said.

James Murdoch said they had taken advice on the “context of the setting” of the committee.

“We were advised fundamentally to tell the truth and be as open and transparent as possible.”

Mr Murdoch senior was asked how often he spoke to his newspaper editors.

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“Very seldom,” he said. “Sometimes I would ring the News of the World on a Saturday night to say have you got any news tonight. But it was just to keep in touch. I ring the editor of the Sunday Times nearly every Saturday night.”

Mr Murdoch said he had to deal with a “multitude of issues” every day, and admitted he may have “lost sight” of the News of the World.

“The News of the World, perhaps I lost sight of. Maybe because it was so small in the general frame of our company,” he said.

Asked to explain the scale of the reported £1 million payout to publicist Max Clifford over phone-hacking, Mr Murdoch senior replied: “Apparently there was a contract with Mr Clifford that was cancelled with Mr Coulson.”

The comment was not clarified any further.

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James Murdoch said the 2008 payout to Mr Taylor, believed to be around £600,000, was based on advice from legal counsel and took account of costs as well as damages. The view on the level of damages that could be due had changed after F1 boss Max Mosley was awarded £60,000 in damages in July 2008.

A few minutes earlier, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson told the committee that ten members of staff at Scotland Yard’s directorate of public affairs (DPA) had previously worked for News International,

Sir Paul said former News International employees and interns accounted for almost a quarter of the DPA’s staff of 45.

“I understand that there are ten members of the DPA staff who have worked in News International in the past, in some cases journalists, in some cases undertaking work experience with the organisation,” he said.

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Sir Paul spoke of his “personally painful” decision to resign in the light of the Metropolitan Police’s links to former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis.

In a final statement to the committee, he said: “Contrary to much ill-informed media speculation, I’m not leaving because I was pushed, I’m not leaving because I have anything to fear or threatened, I’m not leaving because of any lack of support from the Mayor (Boris Johnson), the Prime Minister (David Cameron) or indeed the Home Secretary (Theresa May).

“And until the point of informing them of my resignation, their support was very strong and afterwards their comments most generous.

“I’m going because I’m a leader. Leadership is not about popularity, it’s not about the Press, it’s not about spinning.

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“It’s about making decisions that put your organisation, your mission and the people you lead first. It’s about doing things that will make them proud of the leaders and that’s much different from being popular with them.

“It’s about making decisions that may be difficult and personally painful. And that’s leadership and that’s why I’m going.”

Sir Paul said there had been “huge events, regrettable events” and he spoke of his “sincere regret” that Assistant Commissioner John Yates had also chosen to resign.

“I think the work he has done, particularly in counter-terrorism in this country, has been splendid and I think will be poorer for his passing, frankly,” he said.

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“However, the Met will recover, the Met has over 50-odd thousand people, the large majority of whom are decent, honest, hard-working professionals.”

Dressed in full uniform, Sir Paul responded robustly to questions from the MPs during the 90-minute session.

He revealed that Home Secretary Theresa May had been “shocked” when told of his resignation decision and London mayor Boris Johnson accepted the news “very reluctantly”.

“I would describe him as almost emotional. He was very cross. He did not want it to happen,” Sir Paul said. “It was against the advice of many colleagues, and indeed my wife.”

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The commissioner said he realised he had to go when it emerged that Mr Wallis had links to health spa Champneys, where he had received free accommodation and board following an operation to remove a tumour.

“When I became aware that Mr Wallis was in some way connected with Champneys, I thought that was a very difficult story.

“I think it was very unfortunate for me. I had no knowledge previously. I think that, together with everything else, I thought this is going to be a significant story, and if I am going to be a leader and do the right thing by my organisation, I’d better do something quickly.”

Sir Paul denied it was inappropriate for him to receive the kind of “substantial hospitality” he was given at the health spa, adding that Mr Wallis’s connection with it was unlucky.

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“The owner of Champneys is a family friend connection,” he said. “It was a generous offer. I paid for many treatments, It enabled me to get better very quickly.

“I do not think it was inappropriate in that circumstance. I think it was damnably unlucky, frankly, that it seems Wallis was connected with this and that was devastating news.”

Sir Paul admitted that he was consulted over the employment of Mr Wallis, adding: “Just let me say, with the benefit of what we know now, I’m quite happy to put on the record I regret that we went into that contract, quite clearly, because it’s embarrassing.”

Sir Paul denied “impugning” David Cameron in his resignation statement, when he suggested his employment of Mr Wallis as a media adviser was less controversial than former News of the World editor Andy Coulson’s appointment as Downing street communications chief.

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“I was taking no such swipe at the Prime Minister,” Sir Paul said. “I do agree with the Prime Minister when he says this was entirely different.”

He went on: “What I was trying to get across was simply this: When Mr Coulson resigned, he resigned ... to be the leader and to take responsibility. By definition, he associated his name with hacking. That is simply and blindingly obvious.”

By contrast, Mr Wallis had not left his job in controversial circumstances, according to Sir Paul.

Pressed over why he had not disclosed to the Government that Mr Wallis worked for the Met as a PR consultant, Sir Paul said he was acting on guidance from a Downing Street official.

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“Actually, a senior official at No 10 guided us that actually we should not compromise the Prime Minister, and it seems to me to be entirely sensible,” he said.

“I am very aware of the political exchanges on the employment of Mr Coulson. Why would I want to risk anyone being accused of any compromise?

“Even though I would not suggest for a moment the Prime Minister or the Home Secretary would say anything, but why would I risk that compromise?

“It is very sensible not to compromise people and not to leave people open to any suggestion of compromise when they don’t need to be.”

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He did not name the No 10 official, and Downing Street was unable immediately to identify who he was referring to.

Sir Paul said he was made aware that Mr Wallis was a suspect only “several weeks ago”, adding: “It was only early last week I was told Wallis may be arrested, it was only Thursday morning I was told he’s been arrested that day.”

Questioned on his connections with the News of the World and its parent company News International, he defended the number of occasions he lunched or dined with their staff.

The committee heard he had 18 lunches or dinners with the News of the World and seven or eight with Mr Wallis over a period of roughly five years.

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“There’s a reason why the Metropolitan Police commissioner meets with the media,” he said. “To try and promote and enhance the reputation of the Met... trying to actually make sure there’s a relationship.”

But he admitted that it was clear “we need to change the way we do it” and reminded the committee he had already put some changes in place.

He said that even when the Information Commissioner produced a report on the undercover market in confidential police information in 2006, he had not regarded the issue as a priority.

“There was no reason for that to be on my desk,” he said.

Sir Paul also confirmed he had twice met Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger.

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Asked whether he had pressured the newspaper to “lay off” the phone-hacking story, he replied: “I didn’t put pressure to lay off. They were continuing to run a series of articles whilst I was given assurances that actually there was nothing new in this.

“They seemed to disagree so it seemed entirely appropriate, I could understand that, that I meet with them and actually represent to them what I was being told and that is that this was nothing new and I had no reason to doubt the first inquiry.”

Sir Paul insisted he “played no role” in the procurement of the advisory contract from Mr Wallis.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz asked Sir Paul whether he had any “suspicions” about links between police and journalists, despite a lack of “hard evidence”.

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“You are a police officer with years of experience. Surely you think to yourself, it is very odd that former News International employees, one is working with the leader of the Opposition, one is working with me?” Mr Vaz said.

“It is almost like a fashion accessory, that people leave the News of the World and come to work for the police or politicians... and then your officers, like Andy Hayman, leave the police and go and work for News International.”

He added: “I accept that there was not hard evidence but you are a police officer - surely you would have had suspicions?”

But Sir Paul responded: “There was no evidence available to me - not hard evidence.”

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The Commissioner also took a swipe at former assistant commissioner Mr Hayman, who wrote a column for The Times after leaving the Met.

“I do not read Mr Hayman’s column,” said Sir Paul. “You asked me do you read his columns, and I do not.”

Next up for questioning by the committee was Scotland Yard communications chief Dick Fedorcio, whose appointment of Mr Wallis was closely scrutinised.

Mr Wallis was given his job after his name was put forward to Mr Fedorcio following his departure from the News of the World.

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The public affairs director denied Mr Wallis was a personal friend of his and said his quote for the work was the cheapest of three the Met received after the contract went out to tender.

“I’ve known him (as a professional colleague) since 1997,” he said. “I’ve known him but he’s not a personal friend I socialise with out of work.”

Mr Fedorcio said he knew about the Met’s investigation into phone hacking and was aware of the media coverage the affair had received but never asked Mr Wallis about it.

Instead, Mr Yates conducted “a form of due diligence” on him and he accepted “the integrity of Mr Yates”, he said.

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He added: “I was satisfied the advice given to me by Mr Yates was reliable.”

Mr Fedorcio told the committee: “(Mr Yates) said to me that as far as he was concerned, having spoken to Mr Wallis, there was nothing that could embarrass any of us.”

Asked why there was a need to have “50-odd people in public relations” at the Met, he said: “Like it or not, the media have a strong interest in policing...

“If we weren’t in place, the police officers would be spending their time trying to deal with that approach.”

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