The campaigning MP behind Parliament's investigation into the phone hacking scandal has backed a council-led initiative to remove James Murdoch from his position on the News Corp board.

Labour MP, Tom Watson, told The MJ the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum's (LAPFF) decision to issue a shareholder ‘voting alert' last week – urging council pension funds to push for changes to News Corp's board – was an ‘extremely significant' development in the phone hacking scandal.