Labour is trying to secure cross-party support for an emergency change in the law to prevent News Corporation from renewing its bid to take full ownership of BSkyB.

In a move designed to capitalise on the embarrassment the phone-hacking scandal has heaped on the government, Labour said there was still a possibility that Rupert Murdoch could reopen his bid and the law should be changed to allow ministers to block it. Ivan Lewis, the shadow culture secretary, will introduce a negative motion when parliament returns next week, which – if approved by all parties – could go ahead without a vote.

He has written to the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and the Lib Dem culture spokesman, Don Foster, with his proposals. The aim would be to introduce a new public interest test applicable to media barons to rule people out based on their conduct.

Under Labour's proposed amendments to Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002, ministers would be given the necessary powers to ask regulators to apply a wide-ranging public interest test. Ministers would be also be able to intervene at any stage in the process if new information came to light.

In a move designed to capitalise on the embarrassment the phone-hacking scandal has heaped on the government,

So the current government may have employed the wrong people and not responded very well to the issue, but didn't most of this occur under the previous government?

OMG! I actually support a Labour policy.

im a smoker so i can not be a party to that/this or anything else as i am considered to be less then human

i hope all smokers are banned from voting (smokers are not allowed in public) that way i can smoke without having any say in governance
only non smokers (unless obese) can vote and have

awaiting the next ban ...

I think that this government are already scapegoating those on benefits so as a smoker you will not be alone for long. Next they will target northerners.

im a smoker so i can not be a party to that/this or anything else as i am considered to be less then human

i hope all smokers are banned from voting (smokers are not allowed in public) that way i can smoke without having any say in governance
only non smokers (unless obese) can vote and have

awaiting the next ban ...

If the next ban is for drama queens you need to buy a shack in the Hebrides (outer) :p