Vince Cable has confirmed he and colleagues were heavily “lobbied” in response to reports News International bullied Liberal Democrats over the BskyB bid.

“There was heavy lobbying but perfectly legal. Nobody’s suggesting anything illegal happened on that front. But I don’t want to dwell on the past and my own role in that. What I do what to focus on is reforming the system of competition and takeovers… So we have a healthier, more plural system in future", he told the BBC.

The Business Secretary said there was “big question” if News International were fit and proper owners of their existing shares in BskyB in view of the phone hacking scandal.

“Fortunately it’s not for politicians to come for a definitive judgement on that it’s for the regulator. The regulator, as I understand it Ofcom, is now looking at whether they are fit and proper persons to continue to have their share in ownership and they’re the people who will come to a decision.”

Cable was once the cabinet minister with responsibility for News Corp’s bid to take full control of BSkyB but was stripped of the charge after he was recorded telling journalists he had “declared war” on Rupert Murdoch.