Jeremy Hunt 'sympathetic but not supportive' of BSkyB bid

Jeremy Hunt has admitted he was sympathetic towards News Corporation's take over bid for BSkyB, but claimed he was never supportive of it.

Referring to the time when Business Secretary Vince Cable was still in charge of making a decision about the bid, the culture secretary said he believed the move would help sustain and modernise a healthy free media.

Nevertheless, Mr Hunt stressed he never did anything to support the takeover as he "wasn't actually going out and doing anything about it".

The Conservative minister was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.