Secret eighties Murdoch/Thatcher rendezvous revealed
A secret 1981 meeting between Rupert Murdoch and Margaret Thatcher has been revealed following the release of period documents.
In echoes of the media moguls present day travails Murdoch was at the time gunning to purchase The Times group of newspapers to add to his already burgeoning portfolio – whilst skirting the prying eyes of the competition commission.
Published under the thirty year rule for the release of confidential papers the material includes a private letter penned by Murdoch and notes of the meeting taken by Thatcher’s private secretary, Bernard Ingham.
The meeting of minds is seen as a behind the scenes effort to battle combative unions at the time with Murdoch implying that favourable press coverage would follow any successful takeover.
Murdoch subsequently won his bid to wrest control of the papers after claiming they were losing money – a claim which was later found to be false.