http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/leveson-inquiry/9256111/Government-admits-Andy-Coulson-attended-high-level-security-briefings.html
Former Downing Street spin doctor Andy Coulson is thought to have attended intelligence briefings on counter-terrorism and Afghanistan despite only having low-level security clearance, it emerged today.
The former News of the World editor, 44, is also believed to have been present at military meetings discussing strategic defence and national security.
It is 'entirely probable' that Mr Coulson, who is due to appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics later today, was present at the meetings, Number 10 has admitted.
Mr Coulson was only given 'security check' clearance and not the 'developed vetting' that former Downing Street communications directors Alastair Campbell, Dave Hill and Michael Ellam were put through.
Craig Oliver, David Cameron's current communications director, has also been subjected to developed vetting.
The revelation about Mr Coulson's security clearance level has come to light following a freedom of information request by the Guardian.
Mr Coulson became Downing Street's communications chief in May 2010 but quit eight months later, saying controversy over the hacking scandal was making his job impossible.
The Prime Minister is braced for more damaging revelations about his links with the Murdoch media empire when Mr Coulson testifies at the Leveson Inquiry.
He will give details of how he came to be appointed as Mr Cameron's director of communications after resigning in disgrace as editor of the News of the World.
The appearance kicks off a potentially bruising couple of days for the PM, with ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks due to go into the witness box tomorrow.
She could shed light on text message exchanges with Mr Cameron in which he reportedly expressed sympathy over the phone-hacking scandal engulfing the company.
Mr Cameron has said that 'with 20:20 hindsight' he would not have hired Mr Coulson in May 2007, four months after he resigned from the now-defunct Sunday tabloid over the jailing of royal reporter Clive Goodman for phone hacking.
The ex-journalist's evidence will be the first time he has spoken publicly since being arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption last July. He was bailed and has not been charged.
At the weekend Chancellor George Osborne said Mr Coulson was the 'best person for the job' when he was appointed, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he had approached him to see if he was interested.
Mr Coulson's evidence threatens to overshadow Mr Cameron's efforts to relaunch the coalition in the wake of bruising local election results.
It also comes after eight Cabinet ministers - including Mr Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt - were granted 'core participant' status in the inquiry last week, giving them the right to see documents and statements in advance.
The move followed calls for the resignation of Mr Hunt after emails released by the inquiry, sent by News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel, led to claims that he secretly backed the Murdochs' BSkyB takeover bid.
Mr Coulson's appearance comes ahead of further potentially damaging evidence from Mrs Brooks, who is likely to disclose details about her close relationship with the Prime Minister.
Mrs Brooks, 43, edited the News of the World and The Sun before becoming chief executive of Mr Murdoch's UK newspapers division News International in September 2009.
She and racehorse trainer husband Charlie are key members of the influential Chipping Norton set, along with Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha, and it has been alleged that the Prime Minister texted her, telling her to 'keep her head up', in the week she resigned as chief executive of News International.
An updated biography of Cameron: Practically A Conservative claims he told Mrs Brooks she would get through her difficulties just days before she stood down over the phone-hacking scandal.
The inquiry has already heard that Mrs Brooks regularly met Mr Cameron and other top politicians, along with Rupert and James Murdoch.
She hosted a Christmas dinner on December 23, 2010, just two days after Business Secretary Vince Cable was stripped of his responsibility for media takeovers for saying he had 'declared war' on the Murdochs' News Corporation empire.
Mrs Brooks's wedding on June 13, 2009 was attended by Mr Cameron and former prime minister Gordon Brown, and Mr Cameron admitted in March that he rode a retired police horse loaned to Mrs Brooks by Scotland Yard from 2008 to 2010.
There is speculation that the inquiry could release emails and text messages between Mr Cameron and Mrs Brooks, and Mrs Brooks is said to have kept all the texts she received from the Prime Minister - possibly more than 12 a day.
Mrs Brooks has twice been arrested by Scotland Yard detectives investigating allegations of phone hacking, corrupt payments to public officials, and an attempt to pervert the course of justice. She was bailed and has not been charged.
Further testimony today will come from Lord Rothermere, chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust, which owns the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
Mr Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry last July in response to revelations that the now-defunct News of the World hacked murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.
The first part of the inquiry, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, is looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the press in general and is due to produce a report by October.
Lord Justice Leveson indicated last week that the second part, examining the extent of unlawful activities by journalists, may not go ahead.
The firm’s net income rose to more than $1billion (£621million) for the three months to March, compared with $682million (£423.6million) for the same period last year.
But the company revealed costs of $63million (£39.1million) for 'ongoing investigations initiated upon the closure of The News of the World' in its third quarter fiscal results.
Commenting on the results, News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch said the firm was 'better situated than ever'.
He said: 'Once again News Corporation showed strong operational momentum in the quarter, driven by significant growth at our Cable Network Programming and Filmed Entertainment segments.
'I believe we are better situated than ever to capitalise on the increasing global demand for our superior content.
'Beyond the ongoing growth of our core businesses, I am very pleased with the company’s progress as we execute upon other elements of our strategy to produce sustained, meaningful value for shareholders.'
News Corp’s board recently declared full confidence in Mr Murdoch after a report by a committee of MPs claimed the media mogul was 'not a fit person' to run an international company.
In a contentious amendment to the report by the Commons Culture Committee investigating the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, News Corp was censured for its 'lack of effective corporate governance'.
The company, which owns the Fox television networks, 20th Century Fox film studio, as well as newspapers in the U.S., UK and Australia, showed a 2 per cent rise in revenue to $8.4billion in its fiscal third-quarter results.
It also revealed it was doubling its share buyback programme to $10billion.
Operating income at its cable networks increased by 15 per cent to $846million, with large growth seen in the U.S., Latin America and Asia.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2142216/Andy-Coulson-thought-attended-meetings-counter-terrorism-Afghanistan.html#ixzz1uSPne5hq
'Entirely probable' that Andy Coulson attended secret meetings on counter-terrorism and Afghanistan despite only having low-level security clearance
- Former Downing Street spin doctor to testify at the Leveson Inquiry today
- His appearance comes at start of potentially bruising couple of days for PM
- Ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is due to appear in witness box tomorrow
- News Corp profits rise to more than $1bn despite phone-hacking scandal
Ex-Downing Street spin doctor Andy Coulson, pictured leaving home this morning, is thought to have attended intelligence briefings on counter-terrorism and Afghanistan despite only having low-level security clearance
The former News of the World editor, 44, is also believed to have been present at military meetings discussing strategic defence and national security.
It is 'entirely probable' that Mr Coulson, who is due to appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics later today, was present at the meetings, Number 10 has admitted.
Mr Coulson was only given 'security check' clearance and not the 'developed vetting' that former Downing Street communications directors Alastair Campbell, Dave Hill and Michael Ellam were put through.
Craig Oliver, David Cameron's current communications director, has also been subjected to developed vetting.
The revelation about Mr Coulson's security clearance level has come to light following a freedom of information request by the Guardian.
Mr Coulson became Downing Street's communications chief in May 2010 but quit eight months later, saying controversy over the hacking scandal was making his job impossible.
The Prime Minister is braced for more damaging revelations about his links with the Murdoch media empire when Mr Coulson testifies at the Leveson Inquiry.
He will give details of how he came to be appointed as Mr Cameron's director of communications after resigning in disgrace as editor of the News of the World.
The appearance kicks off a potentially bruising couple of days for the PM, with ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks due to go into the witness box tomorrow.
She could shed light on text message exchanges with Mr Cameron in which he reportedly expressed sympathy over the phone-hacking scandal engulfing the company.
Mr Cameron has said that 'with 20:20 hindsight' he would not have hired Mr Coulson in May 2007, four months after he resigned from the now-defunct Sunday tabloid over the jailing of royal reporter Clive Goodman for phone hacking.
The ex-journalist's evidence will be the first time he has spoken publicly since being arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption last July. He was bailed and has not been charged.
Mr Coulson became Downing Street's communications chief in May 2010 but quit eight months later, due to controversy over the hacking scandal. He is due to appear at the Leveson Inquiry today
Mr Coulson's evidence threatens to overshadow Mr Cameron's efforts to relaunch the coalition in the wake of bruising local election results.
It also comes after eight Cabinet ministers - including Mr Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt - were granted 'core participant' status in the inquiry last week, giving them the right to see documents and statements in advance.
The move followed calls for the resignation of Mr Hunt after emails released by the inquiry, sent by News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel, led to claims that he secretly backed the Murdochs' BSkyB takeover bid.
News International employees Rebekah Brooks, who is due to give evidence at the Leveson Inquiry tomorrow, and Mr Coulson take questions from MPs at a Westminster hearing in 2003
Mrs Brooks, 43, edited the News of the World and The Sun before becoming chief executive of Mr Murdoch's UK newspapers division News International in September 2009.
She and racehorse trainer husband Charlie are key members of the influential Chipping Norton set, along with Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha, and it has been alleged that the Prime Minister texted her, telling her to 'keep her head up', in the week she resigned as chief executive of News International.
An updated biography of Cameron: Practically A Conservative claims he told Mrs Brooks she would get through her difficulties just days before she stood down over the phone-hacking scandal.
The inquiry has already heard that Mrs Brooks regularly met Mr Cameron and other top politicians, along with Rupert and James Murdoch.
She hosted a Christmas dinner on December 23, 2010, just two days after Business Secretary Vince Cable was stripped of his responsibility for media takeovers for saying he had 'declared war' on the Murdochs' News Corporation empire.
Mrs Brooks, pictured with her boss Rupert Murdoch, edited the News of the World and The Sun before becoming chief executive of News International in September 2009
There is speculation that the inquiry could release emails and text messages between Mr Cameron and Mrs Brooks, and Mrs Brooks is said to have kept all the texts she received from the Prime Minister - possibly more than 12 a day.
Mrs Brooks has twice been arrested by Scotland Yard detectives investigating allegations of phone hacking, corrupt payments to public officials, and an attempt to pervert the course of justice. She was bailed and has not been charged.
Further testimony today will come from Lord Rothermere, chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust, which owns the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
Mr Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry last July in response to revelations that the now-defunct News of the World hacked murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.
The first part of the inquiry, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, is looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the press in general and is due to produce a report by October.
Lord Justice Leveson indicated last week that the second part, examining the extent of unlawful activities by journalists, may not go ahead.
News Corp profits rise to more than $1bn despite phone-hacking scandal
News Corporation has reported a strong rise in quarterly profits despite continuing legal charges over the phone-hacking scandal.The firm’s net income rose to more than $1billion (£621million) for the three months to March, compared with $682million (£423.6million) for the same period last year.
But the company revealed costs of $63million (£39.1million) for 'ongoing investigations initiated upon the closure of The News of the World' in its third quarter fiscal results.
New York HQ: News Corporation's The firm's net income rose to more than $1billion (£621million) for the three months to March
He said: 'Once again News Corporation showed strong operational momentum in the quarter, driven by significant growth at our Cable Network Programming and Filmed Entertainment segments.
'I believe we are better situated than ever to capitalise on the increasing global demand for our superior content.
'Beyond the ongoing growth of our core businesses, I am very pleased with the company’s progress as we execute upon other elements of our strategy to produce sustained, meaningful value for shareholders.'
News Corp’s board recently declared full confidence in Mr Murdoch after a report by a committee of MPs claimed the media mogul was 'not a fit person' to run an international company.
In a contentious amendment to the report by the Commons Culture Committee investigating the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, News Corp was censured for its 'lack of effective corporate governance'.
The company, which owns the Fox television networks, 20th Century Fox film studio, as well as newspapers in the U.S., UK and Australia, showed a 2 per cent rise in revenue to $8.4billion in its fiscal third-quarter results.
It also revealed it was doubling its share buyback programme to $10billion.
Operating income at its cable networks increased by 15 per cent to $846million, with large growth seen in the U.S., Latin America and Asia.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2142216/Andy-Coulson-thought-attended-meetings-counter-terrorism-Afghanistan.html#ixzz1uSPne5hq
