Oliver Wright: Was charity tax u-turn burying bad news on a bad day?

Is the spirit of Jo Moore alive and kicking in Whitehall?

The Government was yesterday accused of “burying bad news” after it announced a climbdown on its charity tax proposals on the same day as Jeremy Hunt gave evidence to the Leveson inquiry.

Broadcasters were given advance notice of the announcement by the Treasury at the same time as the Leveson Inquiry was hearing details of George Osborne’s involvement in News Corp's bid for BSkyB.

On Tuesday the Treasury had categorically denied that they were planning a climbdown on plans to tax charitable donations by millionaires.

Government sources denied that they were trying to “bury” either story. Rather strategists were keen for the story to come out on the same day as Hunt’s evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. This would mean that broadcasters would have to chose which story to give greater prominence. In the end the BBC led its lunchtime programme on the tax u-turn with Hunt’s evidence to Leveson the second item.