The government will support Labour's motion asking MPs to call on Rupert Murdoch's News Corp to withdraw its BSkyB bid in a Commons debate on Wednesday.
MPs from all sides seem likely to back the motion, which reads: "The house believes that it is in the public interest for Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation to withdraw their bid for BSkyB." The vote would constitute an expression of Commons opinion and not be binding on a private company. However, Ed Miliband said it was necessary sometimes for parliament to speak on behalf of public opinion. Government sources said the Competition Commission review would continue for now and News Corp declined to comment. Shortly after the wording of the motion emerged the prime minister's spokesman said: "We are intending to support it." Asked whether the government believed that News Corp should heed the will of parliament, the spokesman replied: "Ultimately, that is a decision for News Corp but we would always expect people to take seriously what parliament has said." News Corp withdrew on Monday an offer to spin off Sky News, triggering a referral of its bid to ...