Jeremy Hunt special advisor resigns in wake of Murdoch revelations

Adam Smith, special advisor to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, has resigned.

The resignation came this morning after yesterday’s emails showing communications between News Corporation and Hunt’s department regarding News Corp’s BSkyB takeover bid. In a statement he said: “I appreciate that my activities at times went too far”.

“While it was part of my role to keep News Corporation informed throughout the BSkyB bid process, the content and extent of my contact was done without authorisation from the secretary of state.
I do not recognise all of what Fred Michel said, but nonetheless I appreciate that my activities at times went too far and have, taken together, created the perception that News Corporation had too close a relationship with the department, contrary to the clear requirements set out by Jeremy Hunt and the permanent secretary that this needed to be a fair and scrupulous process.
Whilst I firmly believe that the process was in fact conducted scrupulously fairly, as a result of my activities it is only right for me to step down as special adviser to Jeremy Hunt.” – Adam Smith 

News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch is currently giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has led the calls for Hunt to step down from his role. Mr Hunt currently has no intention of resigning and speaking with reporters in the past hour has said: “When I present my evidence the public will see that I conducted this process with scrupulous fairness”.
Hunt will be speaking to parliament at 1230 today.