MP's bid to recall Murdoch rebuffed

MP Tom Watson's attempt to recall the Murdochs for further questioning was voted down
12 April 2012

Labour MP Tom Watson's attempt to recall Rupert Murdoch and his son James to give more evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee over phone hacking has been voted down.

Mr Watson revealed the rebuff by his colleagues at a news conference after the committee met to discuss its next steps in its investigation of the scandal.

Further written evidence has to be provided by August 11. The committee will then decide which witnesses to recall.

MPs will write to law firm Harbottle & Lewis to see whether it can provide further evidence about the extent of the phone hacking scandal now that News International has relaxed the confidentiality clauses in its contract.

Chairman of the committee John Whittingdale said: "We have considered the evidence we received last week from Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks and subsequent statements by certain individuals have raised questions about some of the evidence we have received.

"As a result of that, we are going to write to ask for further details from various areas where evidence is disputed. We are writing to Colin Myler, Tom Crone, Jon Chapman. We are also writing to James Murdoch to follow up on a number of questions (on) which he promised us further information last week."

Mr Whittingdale said it is highly likely James Murdoch would be recalled to give evidence to the committee but he wants to receive written evidence first.

"I think the chances are that we will reissue to take oral evidence but before doing so I want to get the answers to the detailed questions that we have," Mr Whittingdale told a news conference in Westminster.

He said the letters to Mr Crone, Mr Myler and Mr Chapman ask them to detail exactly what they dispute about the evidence provided to the committee by the Murdochs and Ms Brooks.

He said Mr Crone and Mr Myler's claims to the committee two years ago that an email headed "For Neville", a reference to the News of the World's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, was not of any significance now was "directly contradictory" to the statements they gave last week.

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