British MP to reveal News Corp techniques

Labour MP Tom Watson plans to detail new findings of covert surveillance techniques employed by News Corporation that go “beyond phone hacking”.

Mr Watson, MP for West Bromwich East, said the revelations planned at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in Los Angeles tomorrow “will leave the company liable to civil liability but also huge reputational harm”.

News Corp officials declined to comment.

Watson has spearheaded a 2.5 year probe into phone hacking and and alleged police bribery scandal at the company’s British newspaper unit. He made the comments to reporters today in a conference call from Los Angeles, but gave few details.

He said he will be acting as the proxy for stock owned by the labour organisation AFL-CIO. He plans to speak at tomorrow’s meeting in Los Angeles and will probably be allowed to do so along with other shareholders.

The meeting represents the first time that 80-year-old chief executive Rupert Murdoch has faced shareholders with small stakes since the hacking scandal broke in early July.

News Corp’s shares were up 21 cents or 1.3% at 16.92 in US afternoon trading today.