James Murdoch’s seat on the board of pay-TV group BSkyB was opposed by just 5 per cent of voting shareholders at the company’s annual investor meeting in London. There was no repeat of the rebellion at last year’s meeting in reaction to his handling of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

Making his first public appearance in the UK since April, when he stood down as chairman of BSkyB, Murdoch was oppposed by just 4.96 per cent of company shareholders who voted.

Last year a third of independent shareholders voted against Murdoch’s reappointment when he was still chairman. In Thursday’s vote, just 8.8 per cent of independent shareholders voted against Murdoch and less than 1 per cent abstained.