“I am writing to ask you about any influence Rupert Murdoch may have sought to exert over cabinet appointments. Specifically, it has been suggested to me that Rupert Murdoch asked you to appoint Gove to the cabinet,” Watson mockingly asked May in a letter published on Monday.
“Given your failure to secure a parliamentary majority and the consequent weakness of your position, it might be tempting to allow yourself to be influenced by powerful media proprietors who can shape the way your government is covered.”
Murdoch is apparently furious over May’s poor election results, and has reportedly stormed out of a meeting at the Times office when the exit polls became known.
Watson hinted that Murdoch had ordered the appointment of certain ministers in return for his media support since the PM’s position has become so precarious. But Murdoch’s media has supported the Brexit campaign.
It is clear that Brexit will now be watered down as Theresa May’s Remain-dominated government takes shape. The only Brexiters are completely outnumbered, giving May no leverage with Brussels.
May's new top team. More biased than the BBC! pic.twitter.com/kXnsjeeyr4
— LEAVE.EU 🇬🇧 (@LeaveEUOfficial) June 12, 2017
Before the election, pro-Brexit Tories had accused Germany of trying to influence the general election by undermining Brexit talks in tandem with the EU.
Senior officials in the German government and in Brussels have openly mocked May or leaked sensitive information about private meetings in what is being seen as an attempt to undermine the Prime Minister.
The Telegraph noted that weakening May’s mandate with the electorate would tilt the balance in favour of the EU negotiators, and Conservative sources have suggested she is the victim of a co-ordinated plot of German meddling ahead of next month’s election.
One close ally of May told the Telegraph: “There is a long-standing tradition that countries do not involve themselves in the elections of other countries, and they seem to be breaking that.”
Tory MP Sir Bill Cash, chairman of the Commons European scrutiny committee, said he was “certain” that Germany and the EU had been meddling in the elections: “What they are doing is trying to exploit a new kind of ‘project fear’ and that is not going to work on the British people. They are also trying to use [Brexit] negotiations as a means of influencing the German general election later this year. They are playing an unwise and dangerous game and I think they have been working towards this for a long time.”
Former UKIP Leader Nigel Farage has expressed his fury at Theresa May over the general election, saying that it has now led to a backslide on Brexit. He also said that voters had expressed their opposition to the establishment.
Speaking to LBC radio, Farage said: “What so many didn’t understand was those supporters UKIP picked up last time round and building up to it came from Labour backgrounds. They wanted Brexit but they also wanted change. They also wanted an anti-establishment voice and Mrs May’s ‘strong and stable’ actually repelled quite a few of them.”