Leveson Inquiry: Carole Caplin ‘wrongly accused’ of tipping off newspapers

ALASTAIR Campbell wrongly accused Cherie Blair’s lifestyle consultant of tipping off newspapers about the movements of the former prime minister’s wife, the Leveson Inquiry heard today.

Tony Blair’s former communications director said he had apologised to Carole Caplin, who has been told by police that her mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World.

Mr Campbell told the inquiry into press standards that he often wondered how stories got out about Mrs Blair when she was living in Downing Street.

He said he believed a story about Mrs Blair’s pregnancy printed by the Daily Mirror in 1999 could have been obtained by phone hacking.

“During various periods of the time that we were in government, we were very, very concerned about how many stories about Cherie and Carole Caplin were getting out to different parts of the media,” he said.

“I had no idea how they were getting out. In relation to not just Carole, and not just Cherie, but all of us who were involved in the government at that time, all sorts of stuff got out.

“Some of it may have got out because people who were within the government were putting it out there. Perhaps. That does happen.

“But equally there were all sorts of stories where you would just sit there scratching your head thinking, ‘how the hell did that get out?’.

“I did, at times, directly accuse Carole Caplin of tipping off newspapers about what she was up to. I have since apologised because I now realise I was completely wrong.”

He told the inquiry Ms Caplin said she was happy to write a letter to the inquiry giving more details.

The former No 10 communications chief added in a witness statement: “I have also never understood how the Daily Mirror learned of Cherie’s pregnancy. As I recall it, at the time only a tiny number of people in Downing Street knew that she was pregnant.

“I have heard all sorts of stories as to how the information got out, but none of them strike me as credible.”

Mr Campbell said he became suspicious that his own phone might have been hacked following a meeting with former Labour culture secretary Tessa Jowell.

“We set up the meeting via mobile phone, rather than through our offices. When we arrived at my house, where we had arranged to meet, a photographer was outside,” he said.