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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Coulson to be Tories' press chief | Coulson to be Tories' press chief |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson is to become the Conservative Party's Director of Communications. | Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson is to become the Conservative Party's Director of Communications. |
| Mr Coulson quit his job with the tabloid after one of his reporters was jailed for plotting to intercept phone messages left for royal aides. | Mr Coulson quit his job with the tabloid after one of his reporters was jailed for plotting to intercept phone messages left for royal aides. |
| The new job with the Tories will be a key one as David Cameron prepares to take on incoming PM Gordon Brown. | |
| Meanwhile it emerged that Mr Brown's long time aide, Michael Ellam, will be his official spokesman in Number 10. | |
| Mr Ellam, who worked for Ken Clarke before spending the last ten years working for Mr Brown at the Treasury, will handle the daily lobby briefings when Mr Brown succeeds Mr Blair. | |
| Andy will make a formidable contribution as a senior member of my team David CameronConservative leader Analysis: Alternative to spin? | |
| As well as editing the News of the World, Mr Coulson, 39, is also well known for his past stint as editor of The Sun's Bizarre pop gossip column. | |
| Mr Cameron said: "Andy is a hugely experienced journalist. I am delighted that he has agreed to join my team. | Mr Cameron said: "Andy is a hugely experienced journalist. I am delighted that he has agreed to join my team. |
| "Andy will make a formidable contribution as a senior member of my team in building the most effective strategy and operation to win the next general election. I look forward very much to working with him". | "Andy will make a formidable contribution as a senior member of my team in building the most effective strategy and operation to win the next general election. I look forward very much to working with him". |
| A Tory spokesman said Mr Coulson would give the Conservative press operation the extra "horsepower" it needed in the run up to the next general election. | A Tory spokesman said Mr Coulson would give the Conservative press operation the extra "horsepower" it needed in the run up to the next general election. |
| 'Key role' | 'Key role' |
| "A lot of Andy's job will involve being in day-to-day contact with editors and senior commentators and dealing with long-term strategy," he added. | "A lot of Andy's job will involve being in day-to-day contact with editors and senior commentators and dealing with long-term strategy," he added. |
| "We are not looking for an Alastair Campbell figure - his reliance on spin and aggressive media management has been discredited. | "We are not looking for an Alastair Campbell figure - his reliance on spin and aggressive media management has been discredited. |
| Ellam to be No 10 spokesman | |
| "But we are looking for more horsepower and we are delighted that Andy will be playing a key role in David Cameron's top team." | "But we are looking for more horsepower and we are delighted that Andy will be playing a key role in David Cameron's top team." |
| He said George Eustice would continue to be Mr Cameron's personal press secretary. | He said George Eustice would continue to be Mr Cameron's personal press secretary. |
| He denied Mr Coulson's job would involve building bridges with the Tory-supporting newspapers and columnists who have launched scathing attacks on Mr Cameron's education policy in recent weeks. | He denied Mr Coulson's job would involve building bridges with the Tory-supporting newspapers and columnists who have launched scathing attacks on Mr Cameron's education policy in recent weeks. |
| "This has nothing to do with the controversy over grammar schools," he said. | "This has nothing to do with the controversy over grammar schools," he said. |
| Friends | Friends |
| Mr Coulson quit as News of the World editor in January on the day Clive Goodman, the paper's former royal editor, was jailed for four months for illegal phone tapping. | |
| A Tory spokesman said the party was satisfied Mr Coulson was not to blame for the scandal after he was cleared by a Press Complaints Commission investigation. | A Tory spokesman said the party was satisfied Mr Coulson was not to blame for the scandal after he was cleared by a Press Complaints Commission investigation. |
| The PCC found no evidence that Mr Coulson or anyone else at the paper was aware of Goodman's illegal activities. | The PCC found no evidence that Mr Coulson or anyone else at the paper was aware of Goodman's illegal activities. |
| A close friend of former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, Mr Coulson started out as a reporter on the Basildon Evening Echo. | A close friend of former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, Mr Coulson started out as a reporter on the Basildon Evening Echo. |
| He rose rapidly through the News International ranks, editing The Sun newspaper's Bizarre gossip column and, in 2003, succeeding Rebekah Wade as editor of the News of the World. | |
| His reign saw a string of old-fashioned tabloid exclusives, lifting the lid on the private lives of David Beckham, David Blunkett, Sven Goran Eriksson. | His reign saw a string of old-fashioned tabloid exclusives, lifting the lid on the private lives of David Beckham, David Blunkett, Sven Goran Eriksson. |
| Commenting on his latest role, Mr Coulson said: "I am delighted to be joining David Cameron's team and I look forward to helping the Conservative Party to return to Government under his leadership." | Commenting on his latest role, Mr Coulson said: "I am delighted to be joining David Cameron's team and I look forward to helping the Conservative Party to return to Government under his leadership." |