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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Office backs Gordon Brown over Murdoch phone call | Cabinet Office backs Gordon Brown over Murdoch phone call |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The Cabinet Office has released information casting doubt on Rupert Murdoch's claim that Gordon Brown used a call in the autumn of 2009 to pledge his intention to declare "war" on News Corporation. | The Cabinet Office has released information casting doubt on Rupert Murdoch's claim that Gordon Brown used a call in the autumn of 2009 to pledge his intention to declare "war" on News Corporation. |
| It said there was only one record of a call between Brown and Murdoch in the year up to March 2010 and that the conversation took place on 10 November 2009, when the two men discussed Afghanistan. | It said there was only one record of a call between Brown and Murdoch in the year up to March 2010 and that the conversation took place on 10 November 2009, when the two men discussed Afghanistan. |
| This supports the statement made by Brown at the Leveson inquiry on Monday, when he said that the conversation described by Murdoch in his own evidence to the inquiry "never took place". | This supports the statement made by Brown at the Leveson inquiry on Monday, when he said that the conversation described by Murdoch in his own evidence to the inquiry "never took place". |
| In April, Murdoch told Leveson that he spoke to the then prime minister after the Sun announced that it was switching its support to the Conservatives on 30 September 2009. | In April, Murdoch told Leveson that he spoke to the then prime minister after the Sun announced that it was switching its support to the Conservatives on 30 September 2009. |
| According to Murdoch, Brown said: "Well, your company has declared war on my government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company." Murdoch said that Brown was not "in a very balanced state of mind". | According to Murdoch, Brown said: "Well, your company has declared war on my government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company." Murdoch said that Brown was not "in a very balanced state of mind". |
| On Monday, Brown said that this call simply did not happen. "I'm shocked and surprised that it should be suggested, even when there's no evidence of such a conversation, that it should have happened," he said. | On Monday, Brown said that this call simply did not happen. "I'm shocked and surprised that it should be suggested, even when there's no evidence of such a conversation, that it should have happened," he said. |
| Brown and Murdoch – like all witnesses to the inquiry – were giving their evidence on oath. | Brown and Murdoch – like all witnesses to the inquiry – were giving their evidence on oath. |
| "We can confirm that there is a record of only one call between Mr Brown and Rupert Murdoch in the year to March 2010," a Cabinet Office spokespeson said. | "We can confirm that there is a record of only one call between Mr Brown and Rupert Murdoch in the year to March 2010," a Cabinet Office spokespeson said. |
| "That call took place on the 10 November 2009. This was followed up by an email from Gordon Brown to Rupert Murdoch on the same day referring to the earlier conversation on Afghanistan. | |
| "Four witness statements have been submitted to the inquiry on the content of the call by staff who worked in No 10 Downing Street and who were the four and sole personnel on the phone call." | "Four witness statements have been submitted to the inquiry on the content of the call by staff who worked in No 10 Downing Street and who were the four and sole personnel on the phone call." |
| Governments do not normally release information relating to a previous administration, but sources indicated that the statement was released with Brown's approval. | Governments do not normally release information relating to a previous administration, but sources indicated that the statement was released with Brown's approval. |
| A spokeswoman for Brown said: "This statement confirms Mr Brown's evidence to the inquiry. | A spokeswoman for Brown said: "This statement confirms Mr Brown's evidence to the inquiry. |
| "The fact is there is no record of a phone call Mr Murdoch claims to have had with Mr Brown around the end of September 2009. There is no record of a call because no call took place. Indeed even now Mr Murdoch has been unable to name any date or a time of such a call." | "The fact is there is no record of a phone call Mr Murdoch claims to have had with Mr Brown around the end of September 2009. There is no record of a call because no call took place. Indeed even now Mr Murdoch has been unable to name any date or a time of such a call." |
| In his evidence to the inquiry, Brown said any call he had with someone like Murdoch – including calls from Murdoch as well as calls to Murdoch – would have gone through the Downing Street switchboard. That would include calls made on a mobile phone, he said. | In his evidence to the inquiry, Brown said any call he had with someone like Murdoch – including calls from Murdoch as well as calls to Murdoch – would have gone through the Downing Street switchboard. That would include calls made on a mobile phone, he said. |
| Asked if he ever rang people directly from, for example, a hotel phone, Brown replied: "Not someone like Mr Murdoch. I would always go through Downing Street because you would always want someone on the phone call. You would want to have a record of what was being said, and you would want to know exactly the time you did the call and everything else. | Asked if he ever rang people directly from, for example, a hotel phone, Brown replied: "Not someone like Mr Murdoch. I would always go through Downing Street because you would always want someone on the phone call. You would want to have a record of what was being said, and you would want to know exactly the time you did the call and everything else. |
| "There's no question that any phone call could have been made without it going through this procedure." | "There's no question that any phone call could have been made without it going through this procedure." |
| Murdoch this afternoon tweeted about Brown's challenge: "I stand by every word is aid [sic] at Leveson." | |
| Sources at News Corp say technical staff are now going through phone records forensically in an effort to provide supporting evidence to Murdoch's testimony that the conversation did take place. | |
| They also point to Lord Mandelson's evidence to Leveson about a telephone conversation that took place some time after the Sun's switch to the Tories: "But I know what he said to me about Rupert Murdoch's reaction, which was to say basically: 'I don't like how it's been done and I think it's a bad day to do it and I wouldn't have done it this way myself, but that's life and we have to get on with it.'" |