Episode 24 The Phone Hacking Inquiry

Leveson Inquiry. Several senior politicians gave evidence.

And there was no question of us getting permission. His papers

would not support the Conservative government. We are definitely in

They had to come. The men from Downing Street. For those who held

the highest office in the past and the current resident here. And to

give an inquiry looking at the press and politicians at a beer

from Number Ten. The first this week are a former Prime Minister

who felt ill-treated by the newspapers well enough this and

some of the witnesses here. On day 83, they were the target for a man

who had come to set the record straight one. Firstly, his views

and Rebekah Brooks. She said her paper published this story after

learning Gordon Brown's son had cystic fibrosis from the father of

a boy who also had the condition. The former PM said that source

could only have been a middleman. The letter makes it clear that they

have apologised to us because it was unauthorised information given

by a working member of the NHS stock. It allowed The Sun to

publish the story. He denied Rebekah Brooks's claimed that he

and his wife it given permission for the story to be published.

There was no question of us giving permission for this. I ask you if

any mother or father who is presented with a choice as to

whether their four-month-old son's medical condition should be

broadcast on the front page of a tabloid newspaper, I don't think

there's any parents in the land he would have made the choice we are

told we made. Why then did they continue to have meals with Rebekah

Brooks? Why did Sarah Brown arrange a 40th birthday party for her, I

tend to her wedding and said her personal notes and letters? Serra

is one of the most forgiving people I know. I think she finds the good

in everyone. Gordon Brown said engaging with the media was part of

the job. Then he moved on to Rupert Murdoch. He told the inquiry that

Gordon Brown called -- that he was called. Your company has declared

war on my government. We have no alternative but to make war on your

company. The then Prime Minister he added had not been in a very

balanced state of mind. Now Gordon Brown is in the seat and gave a

different account. This call did not happen. The threat was not made.

Nine and I find it shocking that we should get to this situation some

time later when there is no evidence of the school having

happened. There were other allegations about Gordon Brown's

special advisers in government. Were they not systematic

perpetrators of Sellotape anonymous briefings with your instigation and

knowledge? Not at all. I operated under these rules that would work

to the head of communications. an way your aides involved in using

the media to attempt to force Mr Blair's resignation? -- were your

aides involved? I would hope not. Tony Blair did resign in the end.

Gordon Brown lost his job after a general election. Now Conservatives

occupied Downing Street. As the current Chancellor of the Exchequer

explained, they were keen to keep good relations with the Murdochs.

He recalled a meeting with Rebekah Brooks. David Cameron and I was

seeking to bring the conversation on to state politics. But Rupert

Murdoch was more keen to talk about the international economic

situation. Coalition government was not without frustrations at that.

Vince Cable was stripped of responsibility for deciding whether

tainted been with News Corp's bid for BSkyB shares. Within hours of

the news breaking, it was decided that Jeremy Hunt would be given the

decision. The Chancellor had considered the News Corp bit a

political inconvenience. Now he was worried about real political damage.

The principal concern in the meetings was that this was not

something which would lead the resignation of the Vince Cable. I

thought what he had said was wrong but I did not think it merited his

resignation. I had concerns about the impact of such a resignation on

the Coalition. It was a senior civil servant's idea to put him in

charge. On day 84, a former Prime Minister, unlikely to ever be

accused of getting too close to the papers. His evidence included a

column in The Sun. He thought Premiers should not spend too long

ingratiating themselves with newspaper proprietors. I do not

think it is the role of the Prime Minister to court the press. And he

was reminded up in during his time and others that he cuts a very

different figure from Margaret Thatcher, including the way he was

seen by the papers. I did not inherit the naturally close

affinity my predecessor had earned over a long period of time with the

press. No surprise that the ban had lines rankled. I was much too

sensitive about what the press wrote. God knows why I was in

retrospect. He came with fresh allegations about a media

proprietor who wanted a change in policy. It became apparent in

discussion that Mr Murdoch said he did not like a European policies.

There was no surprise to me. He wished me to change them. If we

could not, his papers could not and would not support the Conservative

government. It is not very often someone sits in front of the Prime

Minister and says, I would like you to change a policy and if you don't

mind organisation, supported. Giving evidence about a discussion

with Margaret Thatcher, Rupert Murdoch told the inquiry he never

asked a Prime Minister for anything. John Major said he thought Murdoch

meant that he never asked for anything to benefit him or his

company. On the whole, politicians used to keep quiet about their

doubts regarding News International. I think it is right to say that

when an organisation like News International has huge power and

politicians are reticent about speaking out about some of the

practices, they came a moment when I felt it was impossible not to

speak out. I knew at that moment that I was crossing the Rubicon.

was first an adviser to Gordon Brown and a minister in his

government. They will more questions about some of the former

PM's other advisers. Charlie left in 1999. One of the reasons was

because of his style of operation. I can't pointer direct evidence but

he briefed against people in the government. When Damien McBride,

when I was a Cabinet minister, I raised a specific concern. It has

been his concerns about Rupert Murdoch that made reason headlines,

but he shied away from repeating than in front of the man himself.

recall a relatively short conversation with Rupert Murdoch. I

believe they should have raised the issue of phone hacking with him.

There is little danger of News International darting Ed Miliband's

news. He suggested he wanted new rules on media ownership. News

International's power and lack of accountability and arrogance came

from its share of the newspaper market. At the very starting point,

IIA don't believe that one person should continue to control 37% or

34% of the newspaper market. That is too much. A politician keen to

stress he had not got into close to those papers. Nick Clegg recalled a

meal with an interesting guest and a disappointing seating plan.

at the very end of the table, with the children sit. I only had very

fleeting interaction with Rupert Murdoch before the dinner and as I

said goodbye at the end. I felt I was an observer. News Corp made its

presence felt elsewhere. Vince Cable had told the inquiry he had

heard from colleagues that if he made the wrong decision on the

BSkyB bid, his party would be done over in the Rupert Murdoch's

It was brought to my attention by a friend of mine, a Lipton MP, that

he had been told that it would be good for the Liberal Democrats to

the open to unfavourable treatment from the Murdoch press. A Liberal

Democrat MP. Norman was agitated by that. Since we had not seen

favourable treatment anyway, I did not think it was a credible threat.

Up the road, the drama continued. The Lib Dems abstained on a vote on

whether Jeremy Hunt should be investigated regarding the

ministerial code. At the inquiry, Nick Clegg offered his Cabinet

colleague qualified support. On the specific point about how he handled

the bid to make sure that he was insulated from accusations of

allowing personal bias to drive the process, he gave four convincing

accounts of this inquiry. Deputy Prime Minister will be one

of the politicians who has to decide what to do when the report

is complete. He suggested the law should be changed and that media

companies that proved too big white face investigation. Scotland's

First Minister told the inquiry he had not been a phone hacking victim

that he had been a target of intrusion. I believe my bank

account was accessed by the Observer newspaper some time ago in

1999. My reason for believing that was I was informed by a former

journalist from the newspaper who gave me an exact account of what

was in my bank account, which could only be known to somebody for had

seen it. For example, I bawled sunk Woylies for my at the time for

young nieces in a toyshop on the high street. -- I've bought some

Tories. This journalist told me this caused great anticipation and

hope. -- I bought some toys. It would be unlikely that it would be

anything else but the point of I am making is that they had details

which could only have been known by somebody who had full access to my

bank account at that stage. observers's publisher said they

have no evidence to substantiate it. And a successful politician who

faced the opposition of the Scottish Sun had its whole hearted

support at last year's contest. He also never repaired and James

Murdoch and had been willing to make a case for the BSkyB bid to

the Westminster government. I was prepared to argue that the jobs and

investment should be considered as a valid issue to be considered. I

was prepared to do that whenever the time was appropriate. I was in

favour of what benefited the Scottish economy. Having a

responsibility for broadcasting policy or the plurality in the

press but I have responsibility for investment in Scotland. He backed

the bid because it was in Scotland's economic interests, he

said, but there was no deal in the legal language. He got good press

in turn for his political stance. Did you ever discuss with the

Murdoch's support by their newspapers in Scotland for their

party? I found with the Murdochs that if you do that, go to the

editors. That is what they say. They have a right to say that.

Therefore, that is what I have done. To only be clear on how many

occasions you have raised the issue with Rupert Murdoch and James

Murdoch? I would not explicitly raised it at meetings because they

would obviously go to their editors about Rupert Murdoch's practice. I

did go to the editor sometimes, sometimes successfully, sometimes

not. On day 86, the Prime Minister under oath. The evidence I shall

give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Long criticised for giving too close to News International but

with a point to make. I wanted to win over newspapers and other

journalists, editors, proprietors, broadcasters. I worked hard at that

because I wanted to communicate what my leadership could bring to

the country. I made those arguments. But I did not do it on the basis of

saying, also a -- you will support me and I will give you a better

time on this policy or that policy. He clearly won over Rebekah Brooks.

They were neighbours and died together. He had known her husband

for years. If there was any doubt about their friendship, there was a

text sent Rebekah Brooks just before David Cameron's party

conference that year. -- they dined with each other. I am rooting for

you tomorrow, not just as a friend but professionally we are in this

together. Just the phrase, professionally, we are in this

together, what was your understanding of that, that is

about the Sun having made the decision to back the Conservatives.

The Sun wanted to make sure it was helping the Conservative Party

could its best foot forward. Whether for country suppers or not,

they saw a lot of each other. you are at your constituency at

weekends, the juicy her every weekend or most weekends? -- did

you see her. Not every weekend. Most weekends? After lunch, a bit

more detail. A Mrs Cameron makes a better at detail -- detailed diary

than I do wish she thinks we saw then about every six weeks. Helping

David Cameron answer difficult questions had been the job of the

Tories head of communications, former News of the World and at

Andy Coulson. David Cameron said he I had asked about phone hacking

before hiring him. He had asked. remember sitting and getting that

assurance. But they do seem to be some differences but they may well

be compatible in the way I suggested. Also under scrutiny,

David Cameron's decision to have Jeremy Hunt decide on the BSkyB bid,

despite receiving a memo from him back in that bit. A decision that

was taken quickly as Vince Cable's war on Murdoch's colleagues were

causing a political storm. It was not some rushed, botched political

decision. If anyone had told me that Jeremy Hunt could not do the

job, and would not have given him the job. He did not recall the memo

on the day of the appointment. Lewis said it would not have

changed the legal adviser brooding look -- move even if it had been

considered. -- the lawyers said. an individual suffers press

intrusion, has an inaccurate article written about them, have

their life turned around, all these things that have happened, it is

worth their while going to this regulator, however established.

They know they will get a front page apology, that is what does not

happen at the moment. Like so many witnesses we have heard, the Prime

Minister had an idea of the solution he wanted that was not