"A very Special Relationship"

I finally got around to listening to "A very special relationship" charting the relations between Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch thanks to the very excellent Listen again on the BBC website.

The show leaves one in no doubt that following Blair's election as Labour leader in 1994,the spin machine actively courted the Murdoch empire,but that the Murdoch empire sensing a change in the political climate also courted the Labour Party.

The headline in the Sun on the day of the 1992 election which asked for the last prson in Britain to turn the lights off if Kinnock wins,showed how News International's relationship with the labour pary had reached rock bottonm following the Wapping dispute in the 80's.

It was revealed that on Murdoch's not so frequent visits to the Uk,Blair would make every effort to meet with the media Mogul.

That Murdoch influenced British policy ,is also claimed.In particular the policy on the Euro and the European constitution as well as crime was put under pressure.

In return for Murdoch's support,the spin machine would give exclusives,for example in 2001 leaking that David Blunkett would become Home Secretary which the former home Sec described as embarrassing.

Papers have always sought to influence political thought throughout their history.What makes this particaully galling was the comment of former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neill who made the point that Murdoch was after all a non national who was having a profound influence on British political policy.

Remembering the last election when the Sun announced which party it was supporting by the release of ,as it turned out red smoke from a chimney reminiscent of a papal crowning,we wait to see which colour appears in 2010 or sooner