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| Leveson: Brooks sent 'rooting for Cameron' message | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Ex-News International executive Rebekah Brooks told the PM she was "rooting for him" both professionally and personally after the Sun switched allegiance to his party, the Leveson Inquiry heard. | Ex-News International executive Rebekah Brooks told the PM she was "rooting for him" both professionally and personally after the Sun switched allegiance to his party, the Leveson Inquiry heard. |
| The message was discussed during Mr Cameron's evidence about the relationship between MPs and the press. | |
| He also said ex-PM Gordon Brown's claims about a Tory deal with NI were "complete nonsense". | He also said ex-PM Gordon Brown's claims about a Tory deal with NI were "complete nonsense". |
| And he said his hiring of an ex-News of the World editor had haunted him. | And he said his hiring of an ex-News of the World editor had haunted him. |
| Andy Coulson became Mr Cameron's communications chief after resigning from the paper. | Andy Coulson became Mr Cameron's communications chief after resigning from the paper. |
| Mr Cameron said Mr Brown's claims that the Tories agreed to cut funding for the BBC and media regulator Ofcom in return for political support from News International had been made because he was "very angry and disappointed" at the Sun's decision to switch support from Labour ahead of the 2010 general election. | Mr Cameron said Mr Brown's claims that the Tories agreed to cut funding for the BBC and media regulator Ofcom in return for political support from News International had been made because he was "very angry and disappointed" at the Sun's decision to switch support from Labour ahead of the 2010 general election. |
| Mr Cameron said the message from Mrs Brooks, dated October 2009, was a reflection of the fact that the Sun had the previous week switched its support to the Conservatives. It was sent on the eve of Mr Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference. | |
| It read: "I am so rooting for you tomorrow, not just as a personal friend but because professionally we're definitely in this together." | It read: "I am so rooting for you tomorrow, not just as a personal friend but because professionally we're definitely in this together." |
| Despite the friendship, he said there had been "no overt deals", "no covert deals" and "no nods and winks" with the company. | Despite the friendship, he said there had been "no overt deals", "no covert deals" and "no nods and winks" with the company. |
| Media meetings | Media meetings |
| He said he did have some conversations with editors in which he told them "we'd love a bit more support from your paper", but "not very often". | He said he did have some conversations with editors in which he told them "we'd love a bit more support from your paper", but "not very often". |
| The prime minister's witness statement reveals he had 1,404 meetings with "media figures" - 26 a month on average - while in opposition between 2005 and 2010. Once in government, that fell to an average of about 13 a month. | The prime minister's witness statement reveals he had 1,404 meetings with "media figures" - 26 a month on average - while in opposition between 2005 and 2010. Once in government, that fell to an average of about 13 a month. |
| "Most of these meetings were about me trying to promote Conservative policy," he said. | "Most of these meetings were about me trying to promote Conservative policy," he said. |
| In 2008 he took a trip to the Greek island of Santorini for a dinner with News International boss Rupert Murdoch because it was a chance to "build a relationship" with him. | In 2008 he took a trip to the Greek island of Santorini for a dinner with News International boss Rupert Murdoch because it was a chance to "build a relationship" with him. |
| When asked by Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry, how frequently Mr Cameron saw Mrs Brooks in the period from 2008 to 2009, the prime minister replied: "It's very difficult because I don't have a record and I don't want to give you an answer that isn't right, so sometimes I would expect we would have been talking to each other quite a bit particularly around the time of [her] wedding or when we were both in Oxfordshire." | When asked by Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry, how frequently Mr Cameron saw Mrs Brooks in the period from 2008 to 2009, the prime minister replied: "It's very difficult because I don't have a record and I don't want to give you an answer that isn't right, so sometimes I would expect we would have been talking to each other quite a bit particularly around the time of [her] wedding or when we were both in Oxfordshire." |
| Mr Cameron told the inquiry that his wife's diary suggested the couple were "in the constituency" 23 weekends in 2009 and 15 in 2010, meaning "we probably did not see [the Brooks] more than once every six weeks". | |
| Mrs Brooks and her husband Charlie - who went to school with Mr Cameron - have both been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in relation to the phone-hacking scandal surrounding News of the World. Both deny wrongdoing. | Mrs Brooks and her husband Charlie - who went to school with Mr Cameron - have both been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in relation to the phone-hacking scandal surrounding News of the World. Both deny wrongdoing. |
| The prime minister told the inquiry he accepted hiring Mr Coulson was "a controversial appointment", but he had been given "assurances" at the time by Mr Coulson that he had no knowledge of phone hacking at the paper. | The prime minister told the inquiry he accepted hiring Mr Coulson was "a controversial appointment", but he had been given "assurances" at the time by Mr Coulson that he had no knowledge of phone hacking at the paper. |
| Earlier Mr Cameron said politicians "have to take care when you have personal friendships [with individuals in the media] but that can be done and I have done that". | Earlier Mr Cameron said politicians "have to take care when you have personal friendships [with individuals in the media] but that can be done and I have done that". |
| 'Respect' | 'Respect' |
| Mr Cameron said the relationship between politicians and the media had deteriorated. | Mr Cameron said the relationship between politicians and the media had deteriorated. |
| "It's become a bad relationship. How we get it to a better place, I think part of it will be about transparency, better regulation, having a bit more distance, that will be part of respect. | "It's become a bad relationship. How we get it to a better place, I think part of it will be about transparency, better regulation, having a bit more distance, that will be part of respect. |
| "But respect has to come from high standards in both places... respect has to be earned on both sides." | "But respect has to come from high standards in both places... respect has to be earned on both sides." |
| He added that "politicians... have got to get out of the 24-hour news cycle, not try and fight every hourly battle, focus on long-term issues and be prepared to take a hit on a story they don't immediately respond to." | |
| The BBC's Nick Robinson said the key moments in Mr Cameron's testimony so far were when he asked about Mr Murdoch, Mrs Brooks and the Sun, saying his answers were often "terse" and that he looked "tense". | |
| The Conservatives have been accused of having a biased view in favour of the bid by News International's parent company News Corporation to take over BSkyB. | |
| The prime minister also said he did not recall the existence of Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's memo on BSkyB at the time when he handed him control of investigating the bid to buy it - eventually abandoned in July 2011 amid outrage over the phone-hacking scandal. | |
| In the note, which Mr Hunt sent to Mr Cameron the month before, the culture secretary voiced his support for the bid. | |
| Labour accuse Mr Hunt of being too close to News Corp, but the prime minister has backed Mr Hunt amid calls for him to resign. | Labour accuse Mr Hunt of being too close to News Corp, but the prime minister has backed Mr Hunt amid calls for him to resign. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
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