Coulson was ‘best person for the job’ says Osborne

ANDY Coulson was the “best person for the job” when he was appointed the Conservative’s director of communications, according to Chancellor George Osborne.

Mr Osborne said despite Mr Coulson resigning just six months earlier from his post as editor of the News of the World, he topped a shortlist of candidates for the job when he was appointed as communications chief in July 2007.

Mr Coulson is expected to appear before Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry into press standards on Thursday.

Mr Osborne said: “I approached Andy Coulson to see if he was interested in the job as director of communications for the Conservative Party.

“We needed a new director of communications and he was the best person for the job on the shortlist of candidates that we had.

“I will repeat exactly what I said a year ago, which is that knowing what I know now, of course we regret that position.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said his stance of keeping executives at News Corp at “arm’s-length” was “vindicated”.

He said he had dealt with the issue of News Corp’s bid for Sky in an “entirely proper and fair way”.