Leveson Inquiry: Tony Blair defends Murdoch friendship

Mr Blair told the Leveson Inquiry he had not changed any policies to please the newspapers owned by Murdoch.

He added he would not have become godfather to one of Murdoch's children based on their relationship in office.

Earlier, a protester had to be ejected after getting into the court and calling Mr Blair a "war criminal".

The inquiry is investigating press standards, and currently focusing on the relationship between the press and politicians.

"It was a relationship about power," said Mr Blair. "I find these relationships are not personal; they are working [relationships], to me."

He added: "Despite all this stuff about me being godfather to one of his children. I would not have been godfather to one of his children on the basis of my relationship in office.

"After I left office I got to know him. Now it's different. It's not the same."

Close interaction

Mr Blair admitted he had "flown half way round the world" to Hayman Island, Australia, to meet Mr Murdoch and News Corporation executives when he was Labour leader in 1995.

He said he wanted to persuade the organisation against "tearing us to pieces".

Mr Blair said a close relationship was inevitable but also involved a "certain level of tension".

"If you look back over time there's nothing wrong and indeed it would, it would be strange frankly if senior people in the media and senior politicians didn't have that close interaction," he said.

The former PM said the views of the press on issues ranging from the trade unions to Europe had not affected his approach.

"I don't know a policy that we changed as a result of Rupert Murdoch," he said.

In his written statement, Mr Blair says his government "more often than not" rejected the views expressed by the Murdoch media, and he provided six examples of when the Labour government had shown such robustness.