Neil wades into row about Murdoch's control of 'Sun'

Just how much editorial control does Rupert Murdoch wield over The Sun and the News of the World?

That was the question posed yesterday when one of Mr Murdoch's former editors contradicted one of his present editors and insisted that the News Corporation chief has the final say in major editorial decisions on the red-top titles.

The former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil told the Lords Communications Committee that although he did not hold the title, Mr Murdoch does act as editor-in-chief of the newspapers. His evidence was in direct contrast to that given by Rebekah Wade, the editor of The Sun, last week, when she said that Mr Murdoch does not exercise day-to-day control over her newspaper.

In a private meeting with the committee in the US last autumn, Mr Murdoch described himself as a "traditional proprietor" and the peers went away with the impression, recorded in the minutes, that "he exercises editorial control on major issues, like which party to back in a general election or policy on Europe".

But Ms Wade said: "I cannot remember one occasion when we have discussed tomorrow's newspaper in the censorious sense." Even the decision of which political party to support is a "consensus" between Mr Murdoch and executives on the newspaper, she added.

But Mr Neil, who edited The Sunday Times from 1983 to 1994, gave a rather different picture of Mr Murdoch as a proprietor. Mr Neil said: "If you want to know what Rupert Murdoch really thinks, read the editorials in The Sun and the New York Post because he is editor-in-chief of these papers."

Mr Neil, who presents This Week on BBC1 and The Daily Politics on BBC2, added: "When I was there the editor of The Sun would get daily telephone calls."