Murdoch versus Brown

Testimony A, from Rupert Murdoch speaking to the Leveson Inquiry today:

‘Mr Brown did call me and said “Rupert, what do you know, what’s going on here?”, and I said “What do you mean?” and he said “The Sun, what it’s doing and how it came about”. I said I was not aware of the exact timing, but I’m sorry to tell you Gordon that we have come to the conclusion that we will support a change of government when there is an election. He said — and no voices were raised — “Well, your company has declared war on my government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company”. I said “I’m sorry about that Gordon. Thank you for calling. End of subject.” I don’t think he was in a very balanced state of mind… I don’t know.’

‘Mr Rupert Murdoch has today made a serious allegation that in a telephone call when The Sun declared for the Conservative Party, I told him I had declared war on his company. He is wholly wrong. As the Leveson Inquiry heard The Sun declared for the Conservatives on the 30th of September, 2009. I did not phone Mr Murdoch or meet him, or write to him about his decision. The only phone call I had with Mr Murdoch in the last year of my time in office was a phone call specifically about Afghanistan and his newspaper’s coverage of the war. This was in the second week of November after his newspaper, The Sun, printed a story in the second week of November about the death of a soldier and his mother’s complaints. I hope Mr Murdoch will have the good grace to correct his account.’