Murdoch’s running scared? He’s not the only one…

I’ve always considered the idea that Murdoch swings elections to be as much myth as reality – like the great snake-oil salesman he is, Rupert decides who’s going to win, and then extracts all sorts of promises out of them for “delivering” them a victory. In terms of delivery, I suspect he’s really more of a midwife than a father – it’s more pass the parcel than creating new life.

This year, after 13 years of guessing right on the Blair horse, Murdoch has sniffed the air, detected a change in wind direction, and decided that it’s time to find a new steed, and what a price he’s negotiated for delivering a Tory victory – the break-up of the BBC and the relaxation of impartiality rules on Sky, allowing him to bring Fox-style bias to British viewers. He’s so exited about the prospect that he jumped the gun by a few weeks in the Sky debate…

So it isn’t surprising that the rise in the Liberals poll numbers, which look likely to prevent any Tory absolute majority, have produced a certain amount of glee in liberal circles. Could Murdoch have screwed up? Could we see the first Government for a generation that isn’t in hock to the (Australian/American/whatever flag of convenience he currently operates under?) press baron?

It’s still too early to celebrate, but now he’s actually going to have to really swing some votes to earn his prize – judging by the headless attack dog performance we’ve seen so far, I’m not sure that he thinks he can do it….

But Rupert isn’t the only one who’s running scared. Thirteen years of New Labour has spawned a vast array of ‘friendly’ journalists and media outlets that have enjoyed a fruitful symbiotic relationship with Government. In exchange for producing the hagiographies and puff pieces on which ambitious New Labour ministers depend, they receive priviledged access to the corridors of power, and the flow of inside information that earns them their wages.

Take the speculation about the Labour leadership over the last couple of years – it doesn’t take much of a radar to figure out which journalists are allied to which contender. All you need to do is to read the rather bizarre testimonies to the political genius of such nobodies as Alan Johnson, both Milibands, Balls (by name and nature), Harriet Harman and Flash Harry personified, James Purnell. Do any of these journalists actually believe that any of these would make a good PM for the country? It’s hard to imagine. More likely they’ve calculated that they that they’ll make a good PM for yours truly.

A special mention has been earned by those two doyens of Labour intrigue, Polly “clothes peg” Toynbee, and Yasmin “we’re all to blame” Alibhai-Brown – Polly for hedging her bets and backing the whole field at various times, and Yasmin for being the only person to ever manage to arrange “deeply”, “impressive”, “Harriet” and “Harman” in that order…

Anyway, I digress. While Rupert Murdoch has taken the statesmanlike approach to impending doom (he’s getting his minions to do the dirty work for him), the squeals of anguish from New Labour hangers-on are getting louder and more shrill, as they seek to protect their most valuable assets.

Most will realise that the chances of a Labour majority are nil, but they will want to ensure that in any future coalition Government, their ‘friends’ will be in the most prominent position – what they are most terrified of is a coalition of equals (too many Liberal ministers who they haven’t cultivated a relationship with), or worse, a Tory – Liberal coalition which cuts them out completely.

Meanwhile Murdoch’s problem is more stark – unless there’s a workable Tory majority, he doesn’t get his agreed pay-off. The last couple of weeks are going to get very nasty….