I’d be delighted to appear at inquiry, says PM

David Cameron has said he would be “delighted” to appear before the Leveson Inquiry into Press standards if invited and would “answer all the questions when that happens”.

The Prime Minister expressed his willingness to give evidence after being urged to justify his decision to recruit former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his media chief.

“I will be delighted to appear at the Leveson Inquiry whenever I’m invited and I am sure other politicians will have exactly the same view,” he told MPs yesterday. “I will answer all the questions when that happens.”

Lord Justice Leveson is widely expected to call the premier for questioning under oath about his dealings with senior media executives such as Rupert Murdoch.

Mr Coulson was hired by Mr Cameron as his communications director six months after he quit as editor of the Sunday newspaper when its royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for phone hacking.

Since leaving Downing Street in January last year, Mr Coulson has been arrested by police investigating wider phone-hacking allegations. He denies any wrongdoing.

JOE CHURCHER