Pressure on James Murdoch as he faces MPs

News International executive chairman James Murdoch will be challenged over his claim, when he appeared before the committee alongside his father in July, that he was not informed that phone-hacking at the News of the World went beyond a single “rogue reporter”.

Mr Murdoch will come under intense pressure to explain apparent discrepancies between evidence he gave the Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this year and the accounts later given by witnesses including News International’s former top lawyer.

In a letter to the committee in July, Mr Murdoch had said he stood by his testimony after it was questioned by the former editor of the News of the World, Colin Myler, and News International’s ex-legal chief Tom Crone.

Mr Murdoch is also likely to be quizzed about allegations that reporters at his company’s papers paid the police for information, following the arrest last week of Sun reporter Jamie Pyatt.

The appearance before MPs comes after the News of the World’s former chief reporter claimed he has refused a police offer to give evidence against his ex-employers.

Neville Thurlbeck says detectives asked him to become a prosecution witness after seizing documents from his home. Evidence taken from his property after his arrest in April indicates he warned senior colleagues two years ago about hacking, he claims.

‘Dynastic succession’ at risk?

James Murdoch’s future may depend on his ability to fend off suspicions that he mishandled the phone-hacking scandal or orchestrated an attempted cover-up.

There are growing signs of discontent among News Corp’s independent shareholders at the prospect of a dynastic succession from Rupert to James at the head of the company.

They have been unsettled by the launch of three police investigations in the UK, and the prospects that allegations of payments to police may trigger legal action under stringent US laws against bribery of foreign officials.