During the "gathering storm" that engulfed News International following the revelation that the News of the World had hacked the phone of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, former Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote to Rebekah Brooks with an offer to help, the Old Bailey has heard.
Blair emailed the then chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's UK print division on July 5, 2011. A day earlier the Guardian newspaper had published the Dowler story, which was later widely credited as the catalyst that led to the closure of the top-selling Sunday tabloid.
Brooks described the mounting pressure in an email read out to the court as "a proper Guardian-Old Labour-BBC hit". In Blair's email to Brooks, he wrote: "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help", adding: "Thinking of you. I have been through things like this."
Brooks wrote back telling Blair: "Thank you, I know what it is like. GB [Gordon Brown] pals getting their own back. Rupert and James [Murdoch] have been brilliant. Hopefully even in this climate the truth will out."
- Independent
