Labour deputy leader writes to PM to inquire whether media mogul was behind the former justice secretary’s appointment

The Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson, has written to Theresa May asking if Rupert Murdoch asked her to reappoint Michael Gove to the cabinet or face bad press in his newspaper titles.

Gove’s shock return as environment secretary comes a little over a year after May fired him as justice secretary following his ill-fated attempt to lead the Conservative party.



Michael Gove appointed environment secretary in cabinet reshuffle Read more

He was immediately rehired by Rupert Murdoch’s Times, where he had worked as a columnist and book reviewer from 1996 to 2005 on a reported £150,000 a year.

Gove became embroiled in scandal earlier this year over reports that Murdoch was in the room when Donald Trump gave his first post-election foreign newspaper interview in the UK to him.



Play Video 0:30 Michael Gove 'surprised' and 'delighted' by cabinet appointment - video

“I am writing to ask you about any influence Rupert Murdoch may have sought to exert over cabinet appointments,” said Watson, in a letter to May published on Monday. “Specifically, it has been suggested to me that Rupert Murdoch asked you to appoint Gove to the cabinet.”



Watson questioned whether the Tories’ failure to secure a parliamentary majority may have led her to consider currying favour with the Murdoch press.



“It might be tempting to allow yourself to be influenced by powerful media proprietors who can shape the way your government is covered,” said Watson.



Election 2017: Downing St hints that Queen's speech will be delayed – politics live Read more

He called on May to answer three questions relating to Murdoch: had he ever “made suggestions” about ministerial or staff appointments; had he ever specifically suggested that Gove should be given a ministerial position; and had he ever said there “might be consequences” in the pages of his papers if she did not take his advice.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The letter has been received and we will respond in due course.”

Gove has shown his admiration for Murdoch over the years, telling the Leveson inquiry into press ethics in 2012 that the media mogul was “one of the most impressive and significant figures of the last 50 years”.

Another insight into their relationship was exposed when a personal email from Gove’s wife, Sarah Vine, a columnist for the Daily Mail, was accidentally leaked. In it, she discussed whether Murdoch would support his leadership bid.

May’s relationship with the media faces further scrutiny over whether the government presses ahead with proposals in its manifesto regarding the regulation of the newspaper industry.

The Conservative manifesto said the party would scrap Leveson 2, a proposed investigation into the relationship between the media and the police, and repeal section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which would force newspapers to pay the legal costs of both sides in libel, privacy and harassment cases if they did not accept an approved regulator. Section 40 was a key plank of the recommendations by Lord Justice Leveson in his first inquiry into the press.

However, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, said on Monday that parts of the manifesto “may be pruned away” after the Conservatives failed to win a parliamentary majority in the election. Labour’s manifesto pledged to implement the recommendations of Leveson – including section 40 - and press ahead with part two of the inquiry.

The Tories are in negotiations with the Democratic Unionist party about a deal that will allow key legislation, such as the Queen’s speech and the budget, to pass through parliament.

The DUP manifesto does not make any reference to press regulation but calls for the TV licence fee to be scrapped and for a “reform” of the BBC following an independent review.



The manifesto says: “The TV licence fee is a highly regressive tax which was designed for a different era and a world of communication that no longer exists.

“The success of Netflix and Amazon streaming services shows that subscription-based media can and does work. An independent commission should be established to conduct a review of how the BBC is structured and the services it provides and to examine alternative funding models, identify the opportunities for competitive tendering of key services and produce a plan that will either significantly reduce the licence fee or abolish it.”