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**Hugh** · 27-07-2011, 11:43

And, of course, he had no close contacts in the previous Government....Independent

Quote:

Mr Murdoch told a committee of MPs on Tuesday that he was advised to use the back door to Downing Street to avoid photographers when visiting both Mr Cameron and Mr Brown. He expressed regret about the breakdown of his relationship with Mr Brown, saying their wives became friends and their children played together.

Quote:

While they were in power, The Independent submitted several requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act asking for details of their contacts with the media mogul. In 2006, Downing Street ruled that while there was a public interest in Mr Blair's dealings with Mr Murdoch, there was an overriding interest in keeping them secret so the Prime Minister could have "free and frank discussions".

Mr Brown allowed Mr Blair's contacts with Mr Murdoch to be disclosed after succeeding him in 2007. Replying to an FOI request from James Macintyre, a former Independent journalist, the Cabinet Office revealed that Mr Blair had three telephone conversations with Mr Murdoch in the nine days before the start of the Iraq war in 2003. The invasion was strongly supported by Murdoch-owned newspapers. The Cabinet Office said there were six telephone discussions between Mr Blair and Mr Murdoch in 20 months, all at crucial moments of his premiership. The subject of their calls was not revealed.

However, Mr Brown's openness did not extend to his own contacts with Mr Murdoch. Replying to another FOI request, Downing Street told The Independent that "we do not hold any minutes of any meetings or other interactions" between Mr Brown and Mr Murdoch. This was despite the News Corp chairman's visit to Chequers in October 2007 during the weekend when Mr Brown scrapped plans for a snap general election.