Telegraph chairman told David Cameron to call editor every day (UK media inquiry)
Source: The Guardian
The chairman of the company behind the Daily Telegraph texted David Cameron before the last election to suggest the Conservative leader speak to the editor of his newspaper every day during the campaign to ensure his party's message was getting across in the broadsheet.
Aidan Barclay texted the would-be prime minister in March 2010 after a breakfast meeting with him at the Ritz hotel, which his family also owns, saying he had "spoken to Tony G" Tony Gallagher, the editor of the Daily Telegraph and they would "arrange a daily call during the campaign as discussed".
Giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry, in a rare public appearance, Barclay explained he believed that if Cameron "wanted to get the attention of the editor [of the Telegraph] and wanted to get his message across in the most efficient manner, he should make a habit of phoning him on a daily basis and I recommended that's what they should do".
The Telegraph chairman said he did not check "on a daily basis" if the calls took place, and it is understood that the Conservative leader only rang Gallagher three or four times during the election campaign, which eventually saw the Conservatives returned to office in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/23/telegraph-chairman-david-cameron-editor
LeftishBrit
(41,212 posts)it is anti-democratic for the government to control the media; but it is also anti-democratic for the media to control the government. Especially when the media is owned by rich moguls who don't even live in the country they seek to run (the Barclay brothers are tax exiles; Murdoch was never a British citizen).
At least I'm glad it's starting to come out.
T_i_B
(14,749 posts)....but more importantly, Cameron would be well within his rights to tell Barclay where he can shove his suggestion in no uncertain terms.
I just hope that he did tell Barclay where to shove it.