http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16236564
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, who leads a panel discussion on aid to Africa, speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in the southeastern port city of Busan
Uniquely for a Labour leader, Mr Blair enjoyed 10 years of support from Mr Murdoch's UK newspapers
2:28am UK, Monday May 28, 2012
Mark White, Home Affairs correspondent
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be asked whether he struck a deal with Rupert Murdoch, for the media tycoon's support, when he testifies at the Leveson inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
Mr Murdoch, who appeared before the hearing on April 25th, denied there was ever a deal between the pair.
He told the inquiry: "I, in 10 years of his power, never asked Mr Blair for anything. Nor indeed did I receive any favours."
A growing number of those who served in the Blair government have conceded the relationship was too close at times.
News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch
Mr Murdoch met Mr Blair many times when he was Labour leader
In his evidence to Lord Justice Leveson, the former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said the relationship had "arguably" become "closer than wise" but dismissed claims of a "Faustian pact" involving commercial concessions for News Corp in return for support from its newspapers.
There is no doubt though that the former Prime Minister and Rupert Murdoch were close. Mr Blair is godfather to the media tycoon's daughter Grace.
He met Mr Murdoch on around 40 occasions during his time at the top British politics and Mr Blair secured something no other Labour leader had ever managed, a decade of support from Mr Murdoch's UK newspaper titles.
Under Tony Blair's leadership, New Labour actively chased that support. He personally travelled to Hayman Island in Australia to address News Corp executives in 1995, as part of the party's strategy to communicate with newspapers that had unfavourably portrayed previous leaders Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock.
Phil Hall, who was the News of the World's editor at the time Mr Blair came to power told Sky News he did not buy into the theory there was any deal between New Labour and News Corporation.
Peter Mandelson
Lord Mandelson said Mr Blair may have got too close to Mr Murdoch
He said: "There's been all this talk of a faustian pact, I don't believe that actually existed. I think what Murdoch saw in Tony Blair was a future Prime Minister who was more conservative than the Conservatives. He was young, he had flare and the two men became very close."
In her evidence to the Leveson inquiry on May 21st, Blair's former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said when she took over the role in 2002 she sought assurances from the then Prime Minister that there had been no backdoor deal with Rupert Murdoch.
She told the hearing: "I asked him whether or not any deal had been done on the cross-media ownership rules. He gave me an absolute assurance, which I completely accepted, that there had been no prior agreement."
Lance Price, who was part of Tony Blair's Downing Street communications team told Sky News: "The truth of the matter is that the Murdoch empire did have a closer relationship with Number 10 than the other organisations did.
"It was a two-way process, they both could see that there were benefits to them from it and it was a relationship that from both sides had its benefits and its downsides."
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell: 'No backdoor deal with Mr Murdoch'
Mr Blair's testimony will mark the beginning of a week of evidence from political heavyweights.
On Tuesday, the Education Secretary and friend of the Murdoch's Michael Gove will give evidence, as will Home Secretary Theresa May.
She is likely to be asked about claims that former News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks threatened her with sustained negative headlines in the Sun newspaper, if she refused to order a renewed investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
On Wednesday, the Business Secretary Vince Cable will appear. He will face some awkward questions over comments he made "declaring war on Rupert Murdoch." He lost his responsibility for overseeing News Corporation's bid for BSkyB after those revelations were made public.
That responsibility was handed to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is now fighting for his political survival, after evidence at the Leveson inquiry revealed close communications between his department and News Corporation during that bidding process.
His Special Adviser, Adam Smith resigned last month after the email evidence between him and News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel was released.
Jeremy Hunt will have his day before Leveson on Thursday.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, who leads a panel discussion on aid to Africa, speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in the southeastern port city of Busan
Uniquely for a Labour leader, Mr Blair enjoyed 10 years of support from Mr Murdoch's UK newspapers
2:28am UK, Monday May 28, 2012
Mark White, Home Affairs correspondent
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be asked whether he struck a deal with Rupert Murdoch, for the media tycoon's support, when he testifies at the Leveson inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
Mr Murdoch, who appeared before the hearing on April 25th, denied there was ever a deal between the pair.
He told the inquiry: "I, in 10 years of his power, never asked Mr Blair for anything. Nor indeed did I receive any favours."
A growing number of those who served in the Blair government have conceded the relationship was too close at times.
News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch
Mr Murdoch met Mr Blair many times when he was Labour leader
In his evidence to Lord Justice Leveson, the former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said the relationship had "arguably" become "closer than wise" but dismissed claims of a "Faustian pact" involving commercial concessions for News Corp in return for support from its newspapers.
There is no doubt though that the former Prime Minister and Rupert Murdoch were close. Mr Blair is godfather to the media tycoon's daughter Grace.
He met Mr Murdoch on around 40 occasions during his time at the top British politics and Mr Blair secured something no other Labour leader had ever managed, a decade of support from Mr Murdoch's UK newspaper titles.
Under Tony Blair's leadership, New Labour actively chased that support. He personally travelled to Hayman Island in Australia to address News Corp executives in 1995, as part of the party's strategy to communicate with newspapers that had unfavourably portrayed previous leaders Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock.
Phil Hall, who was the News of the World's editor at the time Mr Blair came to power told Sky News he did not buy into the theory there was any deal between New Labour and News Corporation.
Peter Mandelson
Lord Mandelson said Mr Blair may have got too close to Mr Murdoch
He said: "There's been all this talk of a faustian pact, I don't believe that actually existed. I think what Murdoch saw in Tony Blair was a future Prime Minister who was more conservative than the Conservatives. He was young, he had flare and the two men became very close."
In her evidence to the Leveson inquiry on May 21st, Blair's former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said when she took over the role in 2002 she sought assurances from the then Prime Minister that there had been no backdoor deal with Rupert Murdoch.
She told the hearing: "I asked him whether or not any deal had been done on the cross-media ownership rules. He gave me an absolute assurance, which I completely accepted, that there had been no prior agreement."
Lance Price, who was part of Tony Blair's Downing Street communications team told Sky News: "The truth of the matter is that the Murdoch empire did have a closer relationship with Number 10 than the other organisations did.
"It was a two-way process, they both could see that there were benefits to them from it and it was a relationship that from both sides had its benefits and its downsides."
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell: 'No backdoor deal with Mr Murdoch'
Mr Blair's testimony will mark the beginning of a week of evidence from political heavyweights.
On Tuesday, the Education Secretary and friend of the Murdoch's Michael Gove will give evidence, as will Home Secretary Theresa May.
She is likely to be asked about claims that former News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks threatened her with sustained negative headlines in the Sun newspaper, if she refused to order a renewed investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
On Wednesday, the Business Secretary Vince Cable will appear. He will face some awkward questions over comments he made "declaring war on Rupert Murdoch." He lost his responsibility for overseeing News Corporation's bid for BSkyB after those revelations were made public.
That responsibility was handed to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is now fighting for his political survival, after evidence at the Leveson inquiry revealed close communications between his department and News Corporation during that bidding process.
His Special Adviser, Adam Smith resigned last month after the email evidence between him and News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel was released.
Jeremy Hunt will have his day before Leveson on Thursday.
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