It’s rare that Russell Brand and Rupert Murdoch agree on something, but Jeremy Corbyn seems to have the knack of attracting a broad church.
Murdoch indicated on Twitter early on Thursday that he favoured Corbyn in the Labour leadership race because of the leftwinger’s authenticity. Predicting that Corbyn would be declared the winner on 12 September, Murdoch said the frontrunner’s three opponents – Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper – did not seem to believe in anything.
Corbyn increasingly likely Labor winner. Seems only candidate who believes anything, right or wrong.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) August 20, 2015
His tweet echoed a prediction he made several days ago that Corbyn would win the leadership election, although he suggested then that it would be a welcome result for David Cameron.
Corbyn? Very likely win, but Cameron does not deserve such luck.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) August 15, 2015
Murdoch has repeatedly backed the Conservative party in UK elections, as have his papers the Times and the Sun, which he owns through News UK. But he has also been a critic of Cameron, especially in the runup to the general election in May when it was predicted the Tories would not win a majority; he even suggested the party should make a deal with Ukip.
UKIP,Farage still making progress. Without a deal Cameron will be dead meat after 2015 elections. Prepare for Radical Labour.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) March 27, 2014
It is safe to say Murdoch’s admiration for Corbyn is not mutual. In 2011, Corbyn called the Sun “a low-grade abusive tabloid whose populism and abuse of individuals was unprecedented in its ferocity and bile”, in a column for the Morning Star.
“We have a right for our information and messages not to be controlled by the amoral attitudes of megalomaniacs,” he added in the article.
• This article was amended on Thursday 20 April 2015 to rewrite the headline to better reflect the content of the story.
