Jeremy Hunt Invited To Take That Concert By News Corporation

News Corp: 'Is Jeremy Hunt Still Coming To See Take That With Us?'

Jeremy Hunt was invited by News Corporation to a Take That concert, according to emails released by the Leveson Inquiry on Tuesday.

In an email exchange last year with the culture secretary's adviser Adam Smith, News Corp. lobbyist Frederic Michel expressed frustration at being criticised for meeting with Culture Minister Ed Vaizey while the BSkyB deal was being decided.

"I feel victimised" Michel wrote on the 7th June, before asking "By the way, does that mean you and Jeremy will not be coming to Take That on 4th July?"

Michel was responding to Smith, who claimed "you cannot seriously think that Ed meeting with News Corp whilst the deal is going on wouldn't be an issue".

Michel had complained beforehand, "Ed is not in charge at all of the Sky deal. That can't be the reason. I can see why Jeremy is not coming to the summer party".

Hunt is facing calls to resign after he was accused of having secretly backed the News Corporation's bid to takeover BSkyB even though he was supposed to be an impartial adjudicator.

His decision to refer the BSkyB takeover to Ofcom was the "easiest way to clear the process ... without facing any credible legal challenge", Frederic Michel reported Hunt saying after a meeting on the 3rd June.

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