GEORGE OSBORNE accused Gordon Brown of being a "fantasist" at the Leveson inquiry for alleging there was a conspiracy between the Conservative party and the Murdoch empire to give the green light to the takeover of BSkyB in return for the political support of The Sun at the general election. But the former Labour leader wasn’t the only one whose evidence to the Leveson inquiry today was met with incredulity. As suggested by the Mole this morning, inquiry QC Robert Jay asked Osborne to explain why he had advised David Cameron to hire Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, despite the obvious danger of employing a man who was being smeared by the mud thrown up from the phone hacking scandal. "The claim is that there is some vast conspiracy where the Conservative Party... signed up to some deal in return for the endorsement of The Sun when we went into Government," replied Osborne. He said that is what Brown had effectively alleged when the former Prime Minister appeared before the inquiry this morning. Having lined up his ducks, Osborne shot them down, declaring: "It is complete nonsense... You have to be a complete fantasist to believe that." Brown - in one of the most emotionally charged sessions of the inquiry - clearly had a lot to get off his chest. He swore on oath that he had never sanctioned briefings against Tony Blair and denied declaring war on Murdoch. But armed with the Mole's five questions, Robert Jay, the inquiry QC, reserved the toughest questioning for Osborne. As suggested by the Mole, he challenged Osborne over what he had meant when he sent a text message to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt saying: "I hope you like our solution." It was on the day that the power of adjudication over News Corp’s proposed takeover of BSkyB was taken out of the hands of Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable and handed to Hunt. It had been assumed by many that the “solution” Osborne was talking about was to the ‘problem’ of how to wave through Rupert Murdoch’s bid for the part of BSkyB that he didn’t own. But the Chancellor told Leveson that the "solution" in fact referred to a different problem: that the opposition was calling on Cable to resign because of his remarks to two undercover Telegraph journalists about "declaring war" on Murdoch. The distinction might seem arcane to some, but it is hugely significant. Osborne was giving evidence under oath. He sounded confident, but to many critics, some of his evidence beggared belief, such as when Jay asked him why he had advised Cameron to hire Coulson as his director of communications. The Chancellor denied it was because Coulson had connections with Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive. "That was not a consideration," said Osborne. He said he had asked Coulson whether he had any involvement with the case of Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator jailed for intercepting phone messages on behalf of the News of the World. "He said no," Osborne said. "We hired Coulson because in my assessment he was the best candidate for the job." Jay questioned Coulson's background for such a high-powered job, but Osborne caused titters in the room when he replied: "If you are referring to the fact he started on the Basildon newspaper, Basildon beats close to the heart of the Conservative Party." Curiously Osborne said he “remains a friend” of Andy Coulson, “though sadly I have not been able to speak to him for a year”. Coulson was recently charged in Scotland for alleged perjury in the Tommy Sheridan case. · Leveson hears George Osborne and Gordon Brown’s flights of fancy
The Chancellor called the former PM a ‘fantasist’ at Leveson today, but his own evidence was met with scepticism
COLUMN LAST UPDATED AT 17:22 ON MON 11 JUN 2012
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