In his testimony, Cameron denies making a deal with Murdoch.
The British Prime Minister said that his conversations with the tycoon, whose News of the World newspaper was involved in a phone hacking scandal, were about major international issues and that he never negotiated political decisions in exchange for editorial support.
247 British Prime Minister David Cameron denied on Thursday that he had made any deal with Rupert Murdoch. He testified about the case before the committee investigating the practices of the British press following the phone hacking scandal at News of the World, Murdoch's weekly magazine, which was shut down after it was discovered that the publication was tapping the phones of celebrities and politicians to obtain information for its articles.
The testimony of the Conservative Party leader didn't bring much new information. In his initial remarks, Cameron only referred in more general terms to the relationship between the press and government, the central theme of the commission. "It was very close, and I believe we need to make it more balanced," he said. The Prime Minister also commented on the relationship between British politicians and the press. "I believe politicians think the press is always wrong. And much of the press thinks politicians only care about themselves, they aren't guided by the right reasons. This has turned into a bad relationship," he added, also advocating for a future with "more transparency, more regulation, and a little more distance."
Cameron stated that his dealings with Murdoch concerned major international issues, not commercial matters, denying any negotiation between political decisions and editorial support. Cameron will also have to explain his relationships with two former directors of the Murdoch group, Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks. The commission also wants to know about ties between the Prime Minister and Rebekah Brooks' husband, a childhood friend.
Based on information from the newspapers Folha de S. Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo.