No deal with Murdoch, says premier

London Evening Standard/London

Prime Minister David Cameron arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice to be interviewed at the Leveson Inquiry in London yesterday

David Cameron yesterday admitted having more than 1,000 meetings with media figures after he became Tory leader — but denied trading policies for flattering coverage.He met Rupert Murdoch at least 10 times, James Murdoch 15 times and former News International executive Rebekah Brooks 19 times, he told the Leveson inquiry.From 2005 he had 1,404 meetings with media figures, which inquiry QC Robert Jay pointed out averaged 26 per month, or more than one every working day. Cameron said he had embarked on a charm offensive after “struggling” to win the support of titles from the “Conservative family” of newspapers when he became opposition leader.But he denied on oath that there had ever been a “covert agreement” to wave through Rupert Murdoch’s attempted BSkyB takeover in return for favourable coverage from News International.He insisted: “First of all, on this idea of an overt deal, this idea that somehow the Conservative Party and News International got together and said ‘You give us your support and we’ll wave through this merger…I think the idea of overt deals is nonsense. “I also don’t believe this theory that there was a nod and a wink and some sort of covert agreement ... of course I wanted to win over newspapers, editors and other journalists, proprietors and broadcasters. I worked very hard at that. But I didn’t do it on the basis of saying, either overtly or covertly, your support will mean I will give you a better (deal) on this policy or that policy.”Beginning seven hours of intensive questioning at the Royal Courts of Justice, Cameron made clear he would support new regulation of the press if it was recommended by Lord Justice Leveson’s final report.On proposals to limit the market share of newspaper proprietors, which Labour leader Ed Miliband has advocated and which would force Murdoch to sell off The Sun or The Times, he said: “A lot of the time it is not necessarily the size of the newspaper group, it’s the strength of voice of the paper. I don’t think it is all about market power.”On meeting proprietors, he said: “If it is obvious that the proprietor has a commercial interest to raise in meeting with a politician, a note should be taken.”Much of the questioning covered the premier’s attempts to get the press on side, and Cameron said: “Frankly, I thought I was struggling a bit to get the message across.” Cameron finally won the backing of The Sun in October 2009, months before the 2010 general election. Weeks after polling day, the Murdoch empire announced its £8bn bid for BSkyB. In his witness statement, Cameron said: “I have never traded or offered a position on policy in return for the support of any media outlet.”