Cameron is grilled, says sorry for hiring Coulson

Jul 21, 2011 - SARJU KAUL |

Age Correspondent

London

Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday faced hostile Opposition Labour MPs, who grilled him over his close relationship with the News International executives, over the phone-hacking scandal.

Mr Cameron, who cut short his Africa trip to present his statement to Parliament a day after News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch, his son James Murdoch and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks gave evidence to Commons select committee, did not apologise. However, he said he was “extremely sorry” for the furore caused by his appointment of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his Downing Street communications chief. Mr Coulson, who was arrested by the police in the phone-hacking probe, resigned from his Downing Street position in January.
“Of course I regret and I am extremely sorry about the furore it has caused. With 20:20 hindsight — and all that has followed — I would not have offered him the job and I expect that he wouldn’t have taken it. But you don’t make decisions in hindsight; you make them in the present,” Mr Cameron, who faced tough questions from Labour MPs, told the House of Commons, which was specially reconvened for the debate on the issue on Wednesday.

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