• 206 Meetings between Murdoch company staff & Government in last two years

• 5 personal meetings between Rupert Murdoch & Ministers 2018-19

• Murdoch met Boris Johnson three times in last two years, and twice since becoming PM
• Hugh Grant, who features in BBC2 Documentary Series “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty” condemns Murdoch influence as “threat to the integrity of our democracy”
• Research set out here in more detail: https://hackinginquiry.org/unelected-insidious-influence-murdoch/

Hacked Off has found that employees of Murdoch-owned companies met with the government more than 200 times in just the last two years.The details of what was discussed at these meetings has not been published.The access to Government enjoyed by Rupert Murdoch is currently the subject of BBC 2 three-part documentary “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty”. Episode two airs this evening.Commenting on Rupert Murdoch’s extraordinary access to political power despite being an unelected media owner, and the threat this poses to democracy, Hugh Grant, Hacked Off Board Director, said:

“A man wearing a dustbin on his head received more votes at the last election than Rupert Murdoch. The extraordinary political access he and his employees enjoy at the highest levels of Government is a threat to the integrity of our democracy.”

Hacked Off Policy Director Nathan Sparkes added:

“Murdoch's people met with the Government more than 200 times in the last two years. What a surprise that the government then abandons a cross party agreement on independent press regulation and ditches Part Two of the Leveson Inquiry. This is a Prime Minister who cares more about serving his press baron friends than serving the public. “Sir Brian Leveson, in the first part of his Report, was explicit that the detail of any media policy matters discussed in these meetings should be published, yet this recommendation has been ignored by the Government. “Instead, Mr Murdoch’s employees are able to lobby the Government for policy favours - on media policy, but also in other policy areas - in near total secrecy.”

ENDSFor press enquiries contact: sara@hackinginquiry.org 07554 665 940