David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks — the inside story

David Cameron's relationship with Rebekah Brooks began with a businesslike lunch in 2005.

By the time he became Prime Minister he had allowed the arch-networker so far into his life that he texted her every week with messages that often ended with "LOL" … or Lots of Love.

Cameron became so close to the former Sun editor and News International chief executive that they were together at a party on Boxing Day in 2010, four days after he had been for dinner at Brooks's home in the Cotswolds.

During five hours of evidence to the Leveson Inquiry yesterday, Brooks painted a picture of a cosy friendship in which the Camerons and the Brookses were constantly in and out of each other's houses (or official residences) and barely seemed able to go more than a few weeks without bumping into each other.

As Brooks made clear, it was only natural that such sensitive topics as phone-hacking and News Corporation's bid for BSkyB should come up at get-togethers of the Chipping Norton set.

Brooks, 43, who was surely the most well-connected woman in the country before her fall from grace in the wake of the News of the World's closure last year, said she would text the Prime Minister "once or twice a week".

During face to face meetings, they were not afraid to get down to the nitty-gritty of what was most on their minds.

When the Guardian newspaper printed a story in 2009 that showed that phone hacking went beyond the single "rogue reporter" that News International had claimed, Cameron, who had hired Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor, as his communications chief, knew who to ask if it was true.

Asked by Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, whether she discussed phone hacking with Cameron after the 2009 report, she said: "Yes I did. Maybe once or twice because of the news and because the phone hacking story was a sort of a constant, or it kept coming up. Maybe in 2010 we had a more specific conversation about it … he was interested in the latest developments." Jay asked if Cameron was "concerned" that hacking went beyond Clive Goodman, the former News of the World royal editor, and Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective, who were jailed in 2007.

She said: "Probably, yes. It was a general conversation. I explained the story behind the news. No secret information, no privileged information, just a general update."

Were Cameron's questions "related to his hiring of Coulson and possibly having second thoughts about that?"

Brooks said they were not.

Cameron was not her first prime minister; she had known John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. But she counted Cameron as a family friend by the time he entered Downing Street.

Brooks said she first met Cameron in January 2005, the first of 13 meetings with him while he was in opposition, including a meeting on Rupert Murdoch's yacht off Santorini, Greece, in 2008. Their friendship became closer when she began dating Charlie Brooks, the racehorse trainer and Daily Telegraph columnist, whom she married in 2009.

Brooks's family and the Camerons were long-standing friends and neighbours in the Cotswolds, where they would spend New Year's Eve and other social occasions together.

Brooks was invited to Chequers three times in 2010, and returned the favour by inviting the Camerons to her home near Chipping Norton.

Jay asked: "Did you often pop around to each other's houses?"

She said that would be "overstating the case" but went on to list a host of occasions, both planned and unplanned, when she met Cameron, ranging from Elisabeth Murdoch's 40th birthday party in 2008 to dinners at James Murdoch's house, and, of course, dinner parties at her own home.

One such get-together was on December 23, 2010, just two days after Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, had been replaced by the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, as the minister scrutinising News Corp's proposed takeover of BSkyB.

Cable was recorded telling undercover journalists for The Daily Telegraph that he had "declared war on Murdoch". James Murdoch, who was then chairman of News International, has already told the inquiry he briefly discussed BSkyB with Cameron at the dinner. Jay asked Mrs rooks if she was "party to any conversations along the lines that Dr Cable had acted in breach of duty, let's hope the next one, Hunt, does not?"

She said: "Not necessarily, but clearly that was our view, that we hoped … that it would be fair and democratic."

She insisted that Cameron was entirely "even-handed" over the bid.

Four days later, she bumped into Cameron at a party at her sister-in-law's house, but she claimed there was no further discussion about BSkyB.

Brooks was asked whether it was true she was courted by politicians eager to secure the support of the Murdoch press because "to get close to Rupert Murdoch they had to get close to you". She said that was "not true" and believed that politicians wanted to get to know her because she was the editor of a mass-market newspaper read by a high number of floating voters.

Brooks was not present when James Murdoch told Cameron in September 2009 that The Sun would be switching its allegiance from Labour to the Tories, but she was "instrumental" in the timing of the announcement, the day after Gordon Brown had made his speech to the Labour Party conference.

According to reports earlier this week, she and Cameron texted each other before a point to point meeting in Heythrop last year to make sure they were not seen together, as Coulson had resigned from No.10 days previously. But, she said, they did not text each other and "we didn't meet". Photographers who were at the meeting said earlier this week they had taken pictures of Brooks and Cameron together at the event.

Brooks was also asked about reports this week that Cameron texted her after she had resigned following the closure of the News of the World.

She said there had been no text messages. However, Cameron had "indirectly" sent her messages to the effect of "keep your head up" and apologising for not being able to get in touch because "Ed Miliband had me on the run".

She also received several messages of support from George Osborne, Theresa May and Tony Blair, but not from Brown, who was probably "getting out the bunting".


Tony Blair 'He was a constant presence in my life for many years'

Tony Blair was "a constant presence" in Rebekah Brooks's life for many years, the former Sun editor told the inquiry.

Brooks met Blair on "numerous political and social occasions", which became more frequent throughout his decade as prime minister.

Brooks also recounted the complaints made by Blair's wife, Cherie, about what she saw as sexist media coverage of her appearance and behaviour.

The former News International boss admitted to siding with Blair in his power struggles with Gordon Brown. But she denied passing to Blair information she received from the Chancellor about his plans.

In a written statement to the inquiry, Brooks said that she considered Blair a friend and became "close friends" with Blair, and with Alastair Campbell, his press officer.

Between 2003 and 2007, she said, she had dinner alone with Blair three times.

Blair was among the politicians who sent Brooks a message of condolence when she quit News International last year. He was also at a surprise 40th birthday party thrown for her by Rupert Murdoch at his London home in 2008.

But unlike other politicians, she said, she did not exchange emails or text messages with Mr Blair, because he did not have a mobile phone while he was prime minister, and did not use a computer.

— James Kirkup