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Cameron met Murdoch on private yacht
Joe Murphy, Political Editor24 Oct 2008
A whirlwind visit by David Cameron to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's yacht was revealed today.
The Conservative leader was flown by private jet to the Greek island of Santorini on 16 August for drinks on board the 184ft floating palace.
He was then whisked away for dinner on a second yacht before being flown with his wife and children to a family sailing holiday in Turkey.
Mr Cameron's jet-setting trip was in contrast to the more modest holiday in Cornwall where he and wife Samantha allowed themselves to be photographed on the beach at Harlyn Bay.
Details of the flights, on the Gulfstream IV private jet belonging to public relations guru Matthew Freud, who is married to Mr Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth, were first revealed in the Standard this month. They were fully declared by the Tory leader in the Commons register of members' interests.
The meeting on the Murdoch yacht, Rosehearty, emerged after the George Osborne and Peter Mandelson controversy threw a spotlight on the interaction between politicians and the super-rich in the Med.
A spokeswoman for Mr Cameron said: "Everything in connection to 16 August has been fully and properly declared."
The day started with Mr Cameron returning from an official visit to Georgia. Mrs Cameron and two of their children were flown from Britain to collect him in Istanbul, and then on to Santorini. After drinks on the Rosehearty, the family dined on Mr Freud's yacht and were then flown to Dalaman in Turkey, where they joined Mrs Cameron's family for a sailing holiday to mark the 60th birthday of her mother, Viscountess Astor.
Reader views (1)
Did he visit, or was he summoned? Tony Blair used to hang out with Rupert Murdoch in the early 90s. Anyone remember The Sun switching allegiance from Tory to Labour at about the same time? A coincidence?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 24/10/2008 12:42
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