It’s hard to know who has the most to gain from a Faustian pact between Keir Starmer and Rupert Murdoch. Back in 2020, when running for Labour leader, Starmer promised Liverpool he wouldn’t speak to the Sun. Now, he’s hardly ever out of the paper.

Ahead of Labour’s conference in Liverpool, Starmer has defended his decision to write for the Sun:

‘I have to make sure that what we have to say is communicated to as many people as possible in the time that we’ve got available. That is why I’m very happy to work with the Sun, to write for the Sun, to do interviews with the Sun.’

Labour’s leader would be well qualified to take a PhD in turncoatery. But Starmer’s inability to keep his promises isn’t surprising. What is, perhaps more so, is why Murdoch gives him house room.

Perhaps Starmer hopes the Sun won’t turn on him if things go wrong. Fat chance of that

Less than a decade ago, Starmer as Director of Public Prosecutions led the charge against numerous innocent Sun journalists for paying public officials. They were all cleared. But for Murdoch, that is water under the bridge. There is a much bigger prize at stake here: what Starmer might do if he wins power. Murdoch has two big fears about a Labour government.

The first is that Labour will bring in the draconian Leveson 2, which would mean his company and London executives could be held to public account for ancient excesses – not to mention a dreadful piece of libel legislation which would bankrupt all media companies who refuse to sign up.

Secondly, and less importantly, he is fearful that there will be demands to break up his business. With Sky gone, there is little of an ’empire’ to speak of in the UK – just a tabloid paper with diminished influence, a TV station which nobody watches (TalkTV) and the Times/ Sunday Times which, after losing a fortune over four decades, is now finally making good money. What is there to break up?

Perhaps Starmer’s reason for talking to the paper is that he wants to play nicey, nicey with the Sun, as he hopes it won’t turn on him if things go wrong. Fat chance of that. And frankly, the sale and influence are so small, it matters far less what the Sun says now than it did in years gone by.

As Murdoch hasn’t a wife these days there is no chance of Starmer popping round, as Blair is alleged with Wendi Deng, when the great man isn’t there. A surprise benefit of the pact.