More fallout from the Derry Street donnybrook. Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch's altercation with Indy editor Simon Kelner at the latter's office yesterday has prompted many a conspiracy theory. Channel 4's political editor Gary Gibbon contributed his own today, speculating in his blog that Wade and Murdoch were visiting the Daily Mail's west London offices (where the Indy is a tenant) to see editor-in-chief Paul Dacre. Could it be that the three of them discussed how best to overturn the Nick Clegg bandwagon, Gibbon wonders? "I haven't managed to stand up that there was a meeting between Paul Dacre and the Murdoch delegation yesterday but it would be intriguing and very unusual if there was," Gibbon says. "There is a certain theme, it has to be said, to the onslaught on Nick Clegg in the Mail, Sun (and Telegraph)." Mail executives are believed to be extremely unhappy about Gibbon's allegations of collusion with the enemy, so his next blog could make interesting reading.
Update: an Associated Newspapers PR has been in touch to quash Gibbon's "wholly inaccurate" speculation that Rebekah Wade and James Murdoch were at the Daily Mail's HQ yesterday to see Paul Dacre. He added that the pair were there for a meeting with Associated chief executive Kevin Beatty to discuss commercial matters – not editorial. Gibbon has now amended his blog accordingly.
