Rupert Murdoch's bid to buy Sky proves the media mogul and his family 'have learnt nothing and think they can get away with everything', Ed Miliband has claimed.

In a rare Commons appearance, the former Labour leader demanded the Government block the bid from 21st Century Fox.

Mr Miliband claimed making the bid at Christmas was an attempt to crash the huge merger past regulators without proper scrutiny.

Fox has tabled a formal £11.7 billion takeover bid for broadcaster Sky. Fox's offer of £10.75 per share for the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own values the Game of Thrones broadcaster at £18.5 billion.

The deal will land on the desk of Culture Secretary Karen Bradley once the European Commission is notified of the deal - something that could happen at any time.

Ed Miliband claimed in the Commons today (picture) that Rupert Murdoch's bid to buy Sky proves the media mogul and his family 'have learnt nothing and think they can get away with everything'

In a rare Commons appearance, the former Labour leader demanded the Government block the bid from 21st Century Fox

Once the notification takes place, Ms Bradley will have just 10 days to decide whether to decide to refer it to Ofcom for scrutiny on public interest grounds.

The Commons rises for Christmas tonight and a furious Mr Miliband said the three week recess could lead to a 'totally and utterly unacceptable' situation where the deal is approved while MPs are away from Westminster.

Mr Miliband said: 'This bid shows the Murdochs have learnt nothing and think they can get away with everything.

'If it was wrong for the Murdochs to own 100 per cent of Sky in 2011 and 2012, it is wrong today.'

FOX BUYS SKY: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox has unveiled its swoop to buy Sky TV. Once notification of the merger goes to regulators in Brussels, the Culture Secretary will have 10 days to decide whether to refer the bid to Ofcom by issuing a public interest intervention notice (PIIN). The media regulator will then spend up to 40 days carrying out a public interest test on the proposed deal, including a review of whether the holder of the broadcast licence is a 'fit and proper person'. If it has concerns, Ms Bradley will have to ask Fox to address any issues, and decide whether to accept what they suggest. A rejected compromise would send the bid to the Competition and Markets Authority for full review, which could take up to six months. After their scrutiny, Ms Bradley will have 30 days to block, approve or approve the deal with conditions. The European Commission could also take a look at the deal on competition grounds. Assuming the deal passes again, it will eventually be put to a vote of Sky shareholders. Advertisement

He added: 'Can she hear the message loud and clear, that if this House were to return on January 9 to find the waving through of this bid, it would be totally and utterly unacceptable, and fly in the face of the expressed will of this House and the country.'

Mr Miliband told the Commons that back in 2011, MPs unanimously urged the withdrawal of the bid for Sky, and in 2012 Ofcom had published 'a damning assessment of James Murdoch's behaviour in the running of News International'.

'That report only stopped short of declaring Sky as unfit and improper to hold a licence on the basis the Murdochs were a minority owner of Sky, not 100 per cent, and James Murdoch was no longer playing an executive role at Sky,' said Mr Miliband.

'Today, James Murdoch is back as chairman of Sky, and chief executive of 21st Century Fox.'

He added: 'In even launching this bid for 100 per cent of Sky, the Murdochs are seeking to turn the judgment of this House, the regulator and indeed the country on its head.'

Mr Miliband also said there had been convictions of senior News International employees for offences such as phone hacking.

He also warned part two of the Leveson inquiry, which was due to examine management failures at the company, had still not taken place.

The deal will land on the desk of Culture Secretary Karen Bradley (pictured responding to Mr Miliband today) once the European Commission is notified of the deal - something that could happen at any time

Ms Bradley said she was unable to comment on the merits of the bid because of the quasi-judicial role she would have later in the takeover process

He added: 'We all said in 2011 that never again, across this House, would we allow the Murdochs to wield unfettered power, yet here we are all over again.'

Addressing the Culture Secretary, Mr Miliband said: 'Can she tell us how this bid can even be considered to be in the realm of reality when part two of Leveson, specifically tasked with looking at the failures of News International, has not taken place?

'On the steps of Downing Street, the Prime Minister said she would stand up to the powerful. If ever there was a chance to prove it, it is today.'

Ms Bradley said she recognised this was 'an issue of significant interest to the public, and has raised a lot of interest in Parliament, as well as being a significant issue for the parties concerned'.

She added that she would take 'a quasi-judicial' role in the bid process, which must be 'scrupulously fair and impartial'.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox has tabled a formal £11.7 billion takeover bid for broadcaster Sky that will mean the mogul owns 100 per cent of the broadcaster

Ms Bradley said: 'I will aim to take an initial decision on whether to intervene on public interest grounds within 10 working days of formal notification of the merger to the relevant competition authority.

'No such formal notification has yet been made.

'Unless and until a formal notification is made to the relevant competition authority, I will not be taking any decisions in relation to the bid.'

But several Conservative MPs spoke out in defence of Mr Murdoch and his bid.

Former culture secretary John Whittingdale said: 'While there may well be a case for asking the regulator to look at this bid, will you also recognise that this represents a £12 billion investment into a British company and is a vote of confidence that Britain will remain a centre of international broadcasting after Britain leaves the European Union?'

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, pictured in the Commons today, was one of several Tories to stand up and support the deal between Fox and Sky

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, whose late father William was editor of The Times which Mr Murdoch now owns, said: 'We have seen the true voice of socialist envy, that Sky has provided, thanks to Rupert Murdoch who risked his whole business on it in about 1990, incredible choice to millions of people.

'It is amazingly popular, and instead of decrying this wonderful achievement, we should be proud that it happened in Britain, and we should be proud that this huge investment is potentially coming into our nation.

'I hope you will bear this in mind and will not fall tempted by the siren voices of socialist ingrates.'

Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, pictured in the Commons today, said the merger was a vote of confidence in post-Brexit Britain