Cameron Faces Questioning Over Murdoch Links at British Press Inquiry

LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron arrived the Royal Courts of Justice Thursday to face sustained questioning Britain’s inquiry into press standards about the of his relationship with Rupert Murdoch and his aides, and likely be pressed on whether the bonds amounted a bargain: favorable treatment return for electoral support.

British political commentators say testimony, expected to last least five hours, will be harshest test yet for the prime minister an issue that has weakened his government and its standing opinion polls. Mr. Cameron may use his appearance to signal a desire change government procedures in its media policy.

a reminder of parallel criminal investigation the phone hacking scandal that inspired the press inquiry, police officials said three people had arrested in the British Midlands and south London in connection an investigation the bribery of public officials. More than 50 people have been detained and released bail since July charges of illicit phone intercepts, e-mail hacking and corruption.

Mr. Cameron’s all-day appearance the inquiry led by Lord Justice Sir Brian Leveson will be climax of four straight days of testimony by British leaders past and who have all been quizzed their ties to the Murdoch empire, which has been depicted as wielding huge influence here through ownership or control of newspapers and broadcast outlets.

The inquiry into increasingly tangled layers of the scandal Thursday seems likely focus on several key areas: the texture of Mr. Cameron’s friendship Rebekah Brooks, a former Murdoch editor and executive; his reasons hiring Andy Coulson, a former editor of the defunct News of the World tabloid at the center of Britain’s phone hacking scandal; and handling of Mr. Murdoch’s failed, $12 billion bid last year of take full control of BSkyB, Britain’s biggest satellite television broadcaster.

The inquiry has profound political overtones the Labour opposition, led by Ed Miliband, is seeking to use the government’s handling of the BSkyB bid as a weapon to assault governing coalition led by Mr. Cameron in tandem with the Liberal Democrats, the junior partner.

The coalition came renewed strain on Wednesday after the Liberal Democrats withheld parliamentary backing Mr. Cameron’s handling of events flowing from the bid.

The move left Mr. Cameron’s Conservatives exposed a challenge that could have threatened his government’s survival. But the Conservatives staved the threat, winning in the of Commons by a vote of 290 252 without the Liberal Democrats’ help.

At issue was the behavior of Jeremy Hunt, Britain’s culture minister, took over responsibility for oversight the Murdoch bid after publicly voicing support it. Labour was pressing an investigation of Mr. Hunt by the ministerial watchdog, but the opposition’s real target is Mr. Cameron, they accuse of showing an alarming lack of judgment in his friendships.

The Labour Party and several prominent Liberal Democrats have accused Mr. Cameron trying to the way for News Corporation by assigning Mr. Hunt to perform impartial review of the bid when he knew Mr. Hunt had made up his mind in of it. Mr. Cameron and Mr. Hunt have both repeatedly denied that Mr. Hunt acted improperly.

According earlier testimony at the Leveson inquiry, the British leader developed particularly ties with Ms. Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, the British newspaper subsidiary of Mr. Murdoch’s News Corporation. They were part of the so-called Chipping Norton set, an upmarket social group in the lush countryside west London.

Ms. Brooks, edited two of Mr. Murdoch’s British tabloids before becoming chief executive of News International, and her husband, Charlie Brooks, appeared a court in central London Wednesday after being charged last month, along four subordinates, conspiring to pervert the course of justice in what prosecutors said was a cover-up of evidence related to the phone hacking scandal.

The Brookses have denied wrongdoing. After a brief hearing on Wednesday, the court allowed six accused to remain free bail until another hearing on June 22.


Adapted and abridged from: The New York Times, June 14, 2012