Gordon Brown today accused Rupert Murdoch of misleading the Leveson inquiry.
In April Mr Murdoch said on oath that Mr Brown had threatened “war” on his media empire in a phone conversation after The Sun withdrew its support for him.
“This conversation never took place,” Mr Brown told the inquiry into press standards. Also on oath, he added: “I am shocked and surprised that it should be suggested.” He flatly contradicted Mr Murdoch’s account of the 2009 phone call.
Mr Murdoch told the inquiry Mr Brown was not “in a very balanced state of mind”. The tycoon claimed that the then prime minister told him: “Well, your company has declared war on my government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company.”
Mr Brown said today: “This call did not happen. The threat was not made. I find it shocking. This did not happen. There is no evidence that it
happened.” But recalling the day the Sun switched support to the Tories, Mr Brown said he spoke to The Sun editor Dominic Mohan at 5pm but was not told about the move.
He said: “I never complained to The Sun about us losing their support. I never phoned them up. I have never asked a newspaper for their support directly and I’ve never complained when they haven’t given us their support.”
Downing Street records released to the inquiry revealed Mr Brown had 11 phone calls with Mr Murdoch between July 2007 and November 2009.
Mr Brown’s account has been backed by several of his former aides at No 10 who overheard phone conversations between Mr Brown and Mr Murdoch.
In statements to the Press Complaints Commission last year, his former special adviser Stewart Wood said: “I listened to the phone call between Mr Brown and Mr. Murdoch in November 2009. At no point in the conversation was threatening language of any sort used by either Mr Brown or Mr Murdoch.” A News Corporation spokesperson said: “Rupert Murdoch stands behind his testimony.”
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Mr Brown also today denied that he unleashed “attack dog” special advisers to undermine Tony Blair and other ministers. He insisted he had not authorised his former press chiefs Charlie Whelan and Damian McBride to brief against colleagues.
He also denied a claim by former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling that Mr Brown’s allies had briefed against him.
The then prime minister was believed to have wanted to replace Mr Darling with Ed Balls. “I can say to you that it is absolutely clear nobody in my position would have instructed any briefing against a senior minister, and Alistair Darling was a friend as well as a senior colleague,” he said.
