British prime minister to give evidence in Leveson inquiry

The Leveson media ethics inquiry will quiz British Prime Minister David Cameron as it is expected to focus on his relationship with figures in Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

Cameron is a friend of ex-News International boss Rebekah Brooks and hired ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his communications chief.

The inquiry is also likely to ask him about Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's handling of News Corp's BSkyB bid.

News Corp unveiled its bid for the satellite broadcaster in June 2010 but abandoned it in July 2011 amid outrage over the phone-hacking scandal at its now defunct News of the World (NoW) newspaper.

 The hacking scandal prompted Cameron to launch Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry the same month.

His appearance before the inquiry at London's Royal Courts of Justice comes as it examines the relationship between politicians and the media.

It previously heard that Hunt sent a memo to Cameron voicing support for News Corp's bid for BSkyB before he was put in charge of overseeing it at the end of 2010.

Labour accuse Mr Hunt of being too close to News Corp before and during the BSkyB takeover process, in which he was given a "quasi-judicial" role.

But the prime minister has backed Mr Hunt amid calls for him to resign.

In her evidence to the inquiry, Brooks said she had exchanged messages with Cameron about once a week while he was opposition leader - though that increased to about two a week in the run-up to the 2010 general election.

Most messages, she said, were to discuss "organisation" or future social occasions.

She said he would mainly sign off the texts "DC" but would occasionally sign them LOL, meaning lots of love until she told him it meant laugh out loud.

The prime minister has already submitted his witness statement and evidence of key meetings, texts and emails.

Brooks has been arrested over the phone-hacking scandal and charged with three counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, which she denies.

Her husband Charlie Brooks - who went to school with Mr Cameron - has been charged with one count of the offence.

Coulson has also been arrested over alleged phone hacking and has been charged with perjury in a case connected to the scandal.

He resigned as Cameron's director of communications in January 2011, blaming coverage of the NoW phone-hacking scandal.