HOW A BAD DAY JUST KEPT ON GETTING WORSE FOR NEWS CORP
10:20am
Nick Clegg calls for Rebekah Brooks to step down after meeting with murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s mother and sister. He also urges Rupert Murdoch to “do the decent thing” and drop his bid for BSkyB. Brian Paddick calls for a public inquiry.
11:30am
Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has maintained a high profile throughout the scandal, calls for a judge-led inquiry and attacks David Cameron over his decision to appoint Andy Coulson.
3:55pm
News Int is accused of obtaining information from Gordon Brown’s bank account, legal files and his family’s medical records – including those of his son with cystic fibrosis.
4.00pm
News Corp announces it is withdrawing concessions made over Sky News, intended to smooth over the bid for Sky, making a Competition Commission investigation a certainty.
4:20pm
Jeremy Hunt tells the House of Commons he will refer the BSkyB merger to the Competition Commission. Ed Miliband attacks David Cameron for not being present to answer questions. Alan Johnson asks for the “organ grinder instead of the monkey”.
4:30pm
Elisabeth Murdoch comes under pressure in the US as activist investors accuse Rupert Murdoch of nepotism over his family’s hold over the business. News Corp bought Elisabeth’s Shine production firm earlier this year for more than $600m.