London, May 11: Rebekah Brooks, former editor of News of the World, today claimed that top UK leaders, including Prime Minister David Cameron, commiserated with her when she was arrested last year in the phone-hacking scandal, underlining the cosy ties between politicians and the press.
Appearing before the Leveson Inquiry on media ethics, 43-year-old Brooks' widely watched deposition provided details of her and News International's relationship with top politicians and the influence they wield.
The details included text messages, emails and formal and informal meetings with prime ministers, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
When Brooks, a close aide of media baron Rupert Murdoch, resigned from News International at the height of the phone-hacking row last summer, she said she received text messages of support from Cameron, Blair, chancellor George Osborne, Home secretary Theresa May and Foreign secretary William Hague.
Cameron sent her a text, asking her to “keep your head up”.
In her written evidence, Brooks, who is currently on bail, detailed the number of meetings she had with prime ministers from 2005 to 2010.
She also gave an account of the decision-making process within News International when The Sun decided to support the Conservative party before the 2010 election.
The tabloid has a history of openly supporting a political party before elections (it supported Labour before the 1997 election, which Labour won).
She said in her written evidence: “I got to know some politicians very well. I think I met first Tony Blair in 1995. The meetings at that time were all about getting to know him and his beliefs since it was fairly clear that New Labour would be elected. Over the succeeding years we met often, particularly during my time as Editor of The Sun”.
Brooks added: “Tony Blair, his senior cabinet, advisers and press secretaries were a constant presence in my life for many years”.
