LIZ Truss’s first external meeting as prime minister was with the head of Rupert Murdoch’s publishing firm which owns The Times and The Sun, new records have revealed.
Information published by the Cabinet Office have shown that Truss – who lasted just 44 days in post – rushed to meet with Robert Thomson, the CEO of News Corp, which is the ultimate owner of News UK – Murdoch’s British publishing arm.
The records show that the meeting – her first with figures outside the Government – was held on September 20, exactly a fortnight after she took office.
The Cabinet Office recorded the purpose of the meeting as: “To discuss the priorities of the new government.”
READ MORE: Rees-Mogg's denial of businessman's Brexit plea stuns Question Time viewers
Thomson has been the chief executive of News Corp since 2013 and previously served at the Murdoch titles The Wall Street Journal in the states and The Times in London.
A 2013 profile of Thomson in the Sydney Morning Herald – where he had previously worked as a senior feature writer in the eighties – described him as “arguably the world's most powerful newspaperman”.
Truss’s rise to power and her catastrophic downfall are covered in a new book by The Sun’s political editor.
She was perceived to have lost the paper’s support after the disastrous mini-Budget, with The Sun’s front page on the day after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tore it up in the Commons branding her the “ghost PM”.
A Scottish Greens spokesperson said the meeting showed the ex-prime minister's focus had been "looking good in the press" rather than tackling the challenges facing the country.
They said: "While a decade of Tory economic mismanagement meant inflation at record levels, energy bills sky-rocketing, the Bank of England forecasting a year long recession, and people facing an impossible choice between heating and eating, Liz Truss and her Tory government had a laser-like focus on looking good in the press as they gave tax cuts to their super wealthy mates.
“This won’t come as a surprise to anyone with experience of living under the Tories.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel