Does Lachlan have the cojones to take on his father's empire?

With his biggest supporter Tucker Carlson gone, Murdoch jnr faces big challenges focusing on Fox TV and his newspapers

- Chris Blackhurst

CONRAD BLACK told the story over the weekend of how Rupert Murdoch positively delighted in the death of Robert Maxwell.

The former Telegraph proprietor, while no fan of Maxwell, did not relish the thought of his competitor floating, dead, in the sea. "I do," said Murdoch.

Among proprietors there is an unwritten code, that while they do not exactly go out of their way to embrace each other, neither do they go personally hostile. Clearly, Murdoch, who had been Maxwell's head-to-head rival for years as The Sun took on The Mirror, saw things differently. He was that ruthless and unforgiving.

Now that the veteran Australian has announced he is becoming chairman emeritus of Fox and News Corporation, and that his son, Lachlan, will be in charge, the question being asked by Murdoch's workers is does Lachlan have the cojones, does he possess that streak so evident in his father? The time-honoured North of England saying is clogs to clogs in three generations. It's easy to forget, such has been the prolonged duration of Rupert, at 92 and after 70 years at the helm of his newspaper, broadcasting combine, that we're still on the second.

Sir Keith Murdoch was the founder, then his son, Rupert, took the family business on, and some. Now, hail Lachlan. At 52, Lachlan is no callow youth projected into the hot seat not as Rupert was, when Keith died when he was just 21. Neither, though, is Lachlan tried and tested in the field of battle. Lachlan does not bear the scars. His medals' drawer is empty.