More pressure on Jeremy Hunt as Lib-Dems seek probe

Fresh coalition tensions erupted today as Liberal Democrats called for a Whitehall inquiry into Jeremy Hunt’s links with the Murdoch empire.

Three Lib-Dems demanded an investigation by Sir Alex Allan, the independent adviser on ministerial interests, after damning emails were published between one of the Culture Secretary’s special advisers and a Murdoch lobbyist.

Lib-Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes led the calls urging the Prime Minister to reconsider his decision not to order a probe. He was supported by chair of the Lib-Dem parliamentary party Lorely Burt and peer Lord Oakeshott.

At the same time, Ed Miliband stepped up the pressure, accusing Mr Cameron of a “cover-up” to protect Mr Hunt.

The Prime Minister has refused to bring in Sir Alex, insisting that the matter should be left to the Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry where the emails over News Corporation’s £8 billion bid to take over BSkyB were disclosed.

Battling to cling onto his job, Mr Hunt today pledged to hand over to the Leveson inquiry all his private texts and emails to special adviser Adam Smith.

“I am confident they will vindicate the position that I handled the BSkyB merger process with total integrity,” he told reporters at his London home.

Mr Smith was forced to resign on Wednesday after details of his contacts with Murdoch lobbyist Frédéric Michel were released, prompting accusations of a secret “back channel” between Mr Hunt’s office and News Corp.

Leveson has stressed that people should wait to hear Mr Hunt’s evidence to his inquiry before making judgments. But the inquiry is not expected to rule on whether the Cabinet minister abided by the ministerial code.

Mr Miliband said: “Every day David Cameron looks more like a Prime Minister organising a cover-up rather than standing up for the public.”

Downing Street rejected the claim. A source said: “To say that a judicial inquiry conducted in public where a Cabinet minister will be crossed-examined by a barrister is a carpet under which these issues can be swept is clearly complete nonsense.”

Mr Hughes told the BBC’s Question Time programme last night that he could not understand why the case had not yet been referred to Sir Alex.