Tony Blair advised Rebekah Brooks on phone-hacking scandal, court hears

London: Tony Blair advised Rebekah Brooks to launch a “Hutton style” inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World at the height of the scandal over the issue, according to an email that has emerged at the Old Bailey trial.

The revelation emerged in an email that was read to the jury in the hacking trial on Wednesday, and followed what Brooks said was an hour-long phone call.

According to the email, sent the day after the News of the World’s final issue and six days before Brooks was arrested, Blair also told her he was “available” to her and Rupert and James Murdoch as an “unofficial adviser” on a “between us” basis.

The advice was said to have been given on July 11, 2011 and contained in an email she sent at 4.20pm to James Murdoch, the then executive chairman of News International.

According to Brooks’s note, Blair advised her to set up an “independent” inquiry, suggesting it could have “outside counsel, Ken Macdonald [the former director of public prosecutions], a great and good type”.

He said the inquiry would be “Hutton style” a reference to Lord Hutton’s inquiry into the death of David Kelly and would “clear” her, but warned that “shortcomings” would have to be accepted as a result of the report.

According to the email the advice was given in an hour-long phone conversation. Blair advised her to “tough up” and not to make any “rash short-term solutions as they only give you long-term headaches.” He also told her to “keep strong” and advised her to take “sleeping pills”.