In a few short weeks Britain\u2019s political landscape has been transformed. In that time we\u2019ve witnessed the demise of Murdoch\u2019s UK media empire and with it an entirely new line\u00a0coming from\u00a0British politicians.<\/span><\/p>\n For it was only a few years ago that Rupert Murdoch held unrivalled influence over the political process in Britain; indeed his News International had almost as much power as the prime minister\u2019s office itself.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Peter Oborne writing in the Telegraph last Thursday, the first person Blair would call after leaving the Labour Party conference hall was Rupert Murdoch. We can only guess as to the nature of those conversations but the fact remains that Blair and Murdoch\u2019s media were working almost hand-in-glove.<\/span><\/p>\n This applied as much to Tony Blair\u2019s ministers as to the prime minister himself. So when two of Blair\u2019s senior ministers left office, David Blunkett and Alistair Campbell were both promptly offered columns in Murdoch\u2019s publications.<\/span><\/p>\n The unhealthily close relations continued when Gordon Brown took office at No 10. Perhaps culminating when News International\u2019s chief executive, Rebekah Brooks attended a \u201cpyjama party\u201d at Chequers, the prime ministers country residence.<\/span><\/p>\n Guests at the \u201cgirls\u2019 night\u201d party also included Wendi Murdoch, Rupert\u2019s wife and his daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch.<\/span><\/p>\n Even while he was still Chancellor Gordon Brown was already courting Murdoch though, and his attentions extended to others in News International too.<\/span><\/p>\n According to one Labour MP who formerly advised Tony Blair, when Irwin Stelzer, <\/span>one of Murdoch right-hand men<\/span><\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0 \u201cvisited Number 10, Number 11 always had to make sure he visited them too. It became a competition,\u201d the MP said.<\/span><\/p>\n In her memoirs, Gordon Brown\u2019s wife recalls the now notorious \u201cpyjama party\u201d attended by Rebekah Brooks, and describes Rupert Murdoch as \u201ca very solicitous host and very touching in the affection he shows for [his wife] Wendi\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Those warm relations weren\u2019t to last however, and by 2009 it was becoming increasingly clear that Murdoch was planning to switch his papers political allegiance.<\/span><\/p>\n So in what was perhaps a last desperate attempt to retain Murdoch\u2019s backing, November 2009 saw Gordon Brown professing the \u201c<\/span>most enormous personal regard<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u201d for Rupert Murdoch.<\/span><\/p>\n Gordon Brown\u2019s \u201cregard\u201d was to no avail and Murdoch switched his papers allegiance to the Conservative Party nonetheless.\u00a0 Just in time for the next election.<\/span><\/p>\n If nothing else though the whole debacle illustrates the patent insincerity of our political leaders. Gordon Brown in particular.<\/span><\/p>\n As the crisis engulfing News International reached its peak this week Gordon Brown stood up in parliament to castigate Rupert Murdoch and News International.<\/span><\/p>\n The man who once professed his \u201cmost enormous high regard\u201d for Murdoch now accused News International of \u201c<\/span>law breaking on an industrial scale<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n The contrast was all too telling. For in denouncing Murdoch\u2019s \u201ccriminal media nexus\u201d Gordon Brown omitted to mention his own role in it. Indeed, he sounded like a man desperately trying to conceal his own crimes by loudly accusing others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Those at News International\u201d said Brown had \u201cmarched in step \u2026 with members of the criminal underworld.”<\/span><\/p>\n “And it was this nexus, this criminal media nexus, claiming to be on the side of the law-abiding citizen,\u201d said Brown, was \u201cin fact standing side by side with criminals\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n