Initial plan was to shun Murdoch reveals PM’s former press chief
George Eustice, former press secretary to David Cameron has said that the now prime minister began as leader of the Conservatives with the aim of distancing himself and Rupert Murdoch.
Writing for PR Week, Eustice claims that Cameron began his reign over the party with the intention of creating a distance from newspapers, in particularly Rupert Murdoch’s News International stable.
The claims come as Cameron finds himself under fire for having hired the former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as head of communications, despite many advising against it.
Cameron has apparently also met top executives at News International 26 times in the 15 months since becoming Prime Minister.
“When I was his press secretary, we pursued a strategy of quietly puncturing the arrogance of both editors and proprietors, and raising the status of what I termed real journalism,” claims Eustace, who worked with Cameron during his leadership campaign in 2005, working as press secretary until 2007.
“It was the settled position of David Cameron's inner team that, if he were invited to speak at News Corp's annual conference, he would have politely declined in order to send a signal that Murdoch's power was not recognised.
“Shrill leader columns were also to be ignored as one might ignore a child's tantrum. Political parties were to decide the agenda and newspapers were to report it.'”
Eustice said that Cameron had taken a “four year detour” and stated that “Now is the time to return to those values.”