More than a few eyebrows were raised after it was reported that David Cameron held an “intense” conversation with Rebekah Brooks at a party in Chipping Norton shortly before Christmas. But challenged on the subject on Radio 5 Live this morning, Cameron made light of the meeting: “My wife’s cousin had a party and I went, it’s not a big deal. What really matters is the country and the decisions that are taken.”
He added: “I am very focused on the job I do, it is a hugely fulfilling job and an enormous opportunity and a great honour to have this job.
“But it is a difficult time for Britain and I try and do this job in a way that I am levelling with people about the difficulties we face and not pretending it is easy when it isn’t.
“We do face difficult years, people have seen that when their wage packets haven’t been going up, the challenges in terms of cost of living.
“I think there are important problems and challenges for this country to get on and get over, I think this government is helping them to do that.”
After news of the encounter emerged, Ed Miliband declared at Prime Minister’s Questions: “We know who this Prime Minister stands up for, because where was he last weekend? Back to his old ways, partying with Rebekah Brooks, no doubt both looking forward to the Boxing Day hunt”.
Brooks was recently revealed to have secured an £11m pay-off when she resigned as chief executive of News International, including the use of office space in Marylebone and the services of company employees for two years. She is due to stand trial on 9 September over charges of phone-hacking and perverting the course of justice.
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