Leveson inquiry: Evgeny Lebedev, Aidan Barclay, John Ryley 4.04pm: Barclay is asked about his meetings with prime ministers. He met Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister in "relaxed" meetings. Blair did not raise issues about the editorial nature of the Telegraph, he says. Barclay had a number of conversations with Gordon Brown, the successor to Blair, about economics. "I didn't feel any difficulty whatsoever," Barclay says, when asked whether it was uncomfortable as the chairman of a Conservative party-supporting media group meeting with senior Labour politicians. He adds that politicians were generally interested in the changing media landscape. Barclay says he complained to George Osborne "fairly recently" about the burden on UK business and issues with visas for Chinese workers. 3.56pm: Barclay says it is his duty to get to know politicians who make the rules and regulations that change our lives "as business people." He adds that he will not give hospitality beyond a meal or a plant at Christmas. 3.54pm: Barclay is asked about the Telegraph's opposition to the now-dropped BSkyB takeover by News Corporation. He says the company had "competition issues" with the proposed takeover. Barr asks about the circumstances of the Telegraph's undercover recording of Vince Cable's "war on Murdoch" comments, which were eventually leaked to the BBC's Robert Peston before the Telegraph had published them. Barclay says he had no knowledge before it was published that the Telegraph was in possession of that information. It was a fairly big story at the time, so no doubt I did at the time, but it was an editorial decision and I didn't question it. Barclay is asked by Lord Justice Leveson why the Telegraph might have decided not to publish Cable's comments on Murdoch. "It seems slightly counter-intuitive to me, sir, but still," he replies. 3.48pm: Aidan Barclay's full witness statement (pdf) can be read here. 3.47pm: Barclay says the Daily Telegraph has created "plenty of trouble" by publishing the MPs' expenses information, and "as far as I'm concerned it is doing its job properly." 3.44pm: Barclay is asked about a series of articles on former home secretary David Blunkett. Barclay says he thought the latter of these articles were a "rehash" of what has been written before. He says he asked Dominic Lawson, former editor of the Sunday Telegraph, "Do you think we've had enough of that?" after a series of articles on Blunkett, but the editor decided to publish further stories. He adds that his other editors would testify that he is not an interfering chairman. 3.39pm: The driving principle is that the newspaper should serve the view of its readers, rather than those of their proprietors, Barclay tells the inquiry. He adds that the Telegraph is conservative "with both a small C and capital C." Barr reads a handwritten letter from MacLennan to David Cameron before the general election, in which the Telegraph Media Group chief executive says "We desperately want there to be a Conservative government and you as prime minister." MacLennan goes on in the letter to say that the Telegraph and Tory party are "not fairweather friends." 3.35pm: Barclay says people should be entitled to do their job "correctly" and he does not intend to "micro manage" his newspapers. Barclay says he would expect to know about an "editorial change" as it happens, but that the appointment of an editor is down to the chief executive, Murdoch MacLennan. The Ritz hotel, owned by the Barclay family. Photograph: John Baran/Alamy 3.30pm: Barclay's family owns the Ritz hotel and a large stake in the company that owns the Connaught hotel and others, as well as the retail giant Shop Direct and the Telegraph Media Group. 3.26pm: We're back. Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher Telegraph Media Group, has taken the stand. David Barr, counsel to the inquiry, is leading the questioning. 3.21pm: The inquiry has taken a break and coverage will resume in 10 minutes. 3.16pm: Lebedev says he speaks to his father every day and he is "constantly under attack" because of reporting in Novaya Gazeta, the independent Russian newspaper that is openly critical of the Kremlin. Leveson has completed his evidence. 3.13pm: Lebedev says he has invested £75m of "Lebedev money" over the last three years funding the Evening Standard and the Independent. It's a really expensive element of British democracy that needs to be preserved at any cost. He says i has been a "huge boost" to the business model of the Independent. He adds the Evening Standard is about to break even. 3.09pm: The freedom of the press that holds the powerful to account should be preserved and cherished, Lebedev says. He says the UK has "one of the most sophisticated democracies in the world," and compares it again with his native Russia. What has been happening is absolutely criminal and outrageous and those who have committed those crimes should be punished. The job that was meant to be done by the police was done by the Guardian and latterly the Independent. Lord Justice Leveson repeats his now-familiar mantra about his inquiry examining "who guards the guardians." 3.05pm: Lebedev says retired editors should sit on the board of the reconstituted press regulator, and that the chairman should be independently appointed so that they are not beholden to their employer. He adds that editors loathe making corrections in the pages of their newspapers, so should be forced to apologise with the same prominence of the original article. 3.01pm: Lebedev says he is not averse to a "statutory backstop" to ensure that all media groups are part of a new regulatory system. He says the new regulator should not oversee blogs because that would be "impossible," but other online news providers should be involved. He adds that advertisers are not likely to want to place ads on those websites not part of the new regulator. 3.00pm: Lebedev is asked about phone hacking. He asked Andreas Whittam Smith to carry out an investigation into the Independent and London Evening Standard which found no illicit newsgathering methods. "I can confidently say that, at least on my watch ... none of the journalists have been getting up to any illegal activity," he adds. 2.57pm: To record all meetings between politicians and journalists would "completely change the balance in Westminster," Lebedev says. He adds that recording the subject of meetings may be sensitive and would threaten the free expression of ideas. There should be a way of preventing governmental influence on policy by media organisations. 2.52pm: Patry Hoskins asks about other news organisations' meetings with the prime minister. She points out that News International newspapers have "significantly more" meetings with Cameron and senior ministers than other media groups. Was policy influenced in those discussions? That's the important question. Lebedev adds that the number of meetings is not significant but the content of this meetings may be. Lebedev says "in particular" he is interested in finding out the government's position on Russia, as well as other matters. 2.50pm: Here's Lebedev's witness statement (pdf) in full. 2.49pm: Politicians "really over-estimate" the influence newspapers have on the political process in this country, Lebedev says. He warns against new powers to curb the British press, highlighting the state-controlled parts of the Russian media. 2.48pm: Some more articles relating to the Leveson inquiry. Ed Pilkington and Dominic Rushe report here on allegations Daily News editor Colin Myler faces over his time at the News of the World. Also film-maker Michael Moore has predicted phone-hacking revelations will soon impact on Fox News in the US. Ben Childs covers the story here. Lebedev confirms he has met Ed Miliband. 2.41pm: Lebedev says he has never been asked by a prime minister to support their party or policies. He has met Ed Miliband since he became the leader of the Labour party. In his witness statement, Lebedev says he is interested in young political talent. It's interesting to hear fresh young ideas. It's something I've always been very keen on," he adds. Lebedev points out that he will soon set up a new website, dubbed Independent Voices, with 25 people working on it. Lebedev will be editor in chief of this new website. 2.37pm: Lebedev says he does not see any problem having meetings with politicians "because it is unfeasible to erect Chinese walls ... because we operate in the same sphere of existence." He contrasts his interest in politicians with other proprietors, a reference to Rupert Murdoch, who he suggests seek to exert influence over Westminster during meetings. He says he has never attempted to influence politicians. 2.34pm: Lebedev says he has met David Cameron four times, including once since he became prime minister. "We occupy the same sphere of existence," Lebedev says when asked why it is important for him to meet the prime minister. He adds that he has met Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, and keeps in touch every so often. He adds that he has a diverse interest in politics and wants to find out about the "workings of Westminster." 2.31pm: Lebedev says he has met Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the mayor of London, but none of the other candidates. He adds that he has asked Sarah Sands, the new editor of the London Evening Standard, about which candidate the paper is planning to support. 2.30pm: Carine Patry Hoskins asks Lebedev about his involvement with politicians. Lebedev says he does consider Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, as a friend but adds there are various degrees of friendship. Lebedev will see Johnson about once every three or four months, he says. There is lots of things we discuss, basically London issues. Lebedev says he has never been asked by a political party to support them in a campaign. 2.26pm: A bit of background on the witnesses giving evidence this week can be read here. 2.23pm: Lebedev says he speaks to his editors once or twice a week on newspaper matters, but maybe more on other topics. Hamid Karzai has been interviewed by Lebedev. 2.21pm: Lebedev says he discusses national policy with his editors and for that to be taken into account. He adds that editors will take their own view on what they have discussed. Lebedev says that he will do journalism himself, pointing out that he recently interviewed the president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, and offer it to the editors of the Independent and Evening Standard who will take it on merit. Lebedev says he "wouldn't be particularly happy" if his views on a certain policy are ignored, but that he would respect the editor's wishes. 2.15pm: Lebedev says the London Evening Standard and the Independent do have different political leanings, pointing out that the Independent is in favour of tactical voting and the Standard supported the Conservative party at the last general election. 2.12pm: Evgeny Lebedev, proprietor of the Independent and London Evening Standard, has taken the witness stand. Carine Patry Hoskins, counsel to the inquiry, will question Lebedev. 2.10pm: The inquiry has resumed. Lord Justice Leveson says the next section of the inquiry will involve evidence from media proprietors. He adds that he will approach the task from "an entirely non-partisan" standpoint. 1.05pm: A quick lunchtime summary of evidence given by John Ryley, head of news at Sky News: Ryley said he was not sufficiently aware of the Computer Misuse Act when he discovered a Sky News reporter had potentially broken the law by accessing the emails of "canoe man" John Darwin Ryley: "highly unlikely" Sky News will authorise potentially illicit newsgathering methods in the future Sources close to the prosecution suggested to a Sky News reporter that it might be "worth looking at" Darwin's emails, Ryley said 12.55pm: Ryley says it is "absolutely correct" that Sky News is a separate news organisation from the former News of the World publisher, News International, although the BSkyB broadcaster is part owned by the Rupert Murdoch media group which owns News International. He adds that "journalistic endeavours" of Sky News and "management structure" were entirely separate from those at News International. Ryley has now completed his evidence. The inquiry resumes at 2pm with Evgeny Lebedev, owner of the Independent and London Evening Standard, and Aiden Barclay, chairman of Telegraph Media Group. 12.50pm: Ryley admits Sky News submitted an "inaccurate" statement to the Leveson inquiry in September asserting there had been no interception of communication by its journalists. Ryley explains that they understood this to mean phone hacking, breaches of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, and payment of public officials. "It is very regrettable indeed and I apologise," he adds. 12.47pm: Ryley says Sky News will "look very hard" at the issue of proportionality and will introduce new guidelines that spell out the balance of what is and is not allowed in the process of newsgathering. 12.42pm: The local authority had "stonewalled" on a number of inquiries from more than one Sky News journalist on the issue, Ryley says. In an email read out by Barr, the managing editor of Sky News gives Tubb the green light to guess the security question to access an email account belonging to Lianne Smith, the husband of Martin. Tubb asks Simon Cole, the managing editor, in the email whether he should try to guess the security question. Cole replies: "Yes please Gerard. Legitimate public interest in inquiry good hunting. This exchange took place on 23 May 2010. Ryley denies this approval was "cursory" and says he does not know whether Cole paid sufficient attention to the criminal law. Catalonian Police officers escort Briton Lianne Smith on 20 May 2010. Photograph: Toni Garriga/EPA 12.37pm: Ryley is asked about how Sky News can justify accessing the emails of Martin Smith, a suspected paedophile. Ryley says that Sky News believed that if the local authority had done more then they might have been able to track the Smith family down. "The local authority, we believed, could have done more to find out the whereabouts of where the Smith family had run off to," he says, adding that it took the local authorities two years to track the family down. By accessing the email account of Mrs Smith we would be able to determine whether she was in contact with other people back in Britain ... and also the extent to which Mrs Smith was living openly in Spain. 12.30pm: The inquiry hears that Tubb, the Sky News reporter, wanted to use a "private eye" to check immigration records in Panama for the name used by John Darwin's son. Ryley says that Sky News does not use private investigators, adding that using a freelance journalist to access the records of a foreign state is "unethical." 12.27pm: The second episode of email hacking by Tubb, again authorised by former managing editor Simon Cole, was brought to Ryley's attention after it had been sanctioned. Barr asks what he thought of that hacking. "I thought it was agreeable that he did that," Ryley says, adding that it would be useful to help track down the money. Lord Justice Leveson asks whether Ryley was aware of the Computer Misuse Act. "I probably wasn't aware of it as I should have been, to give you an honest answer," Ryley says. Barr asks whether he was aware of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Ryley says again that he was not as aware as he should have been. 12.25pm: Ryley says he does not know what the police did with information about the Darwin emails after they were passed to them by Sky News. He adds that the police used passwords that Sky News had obtained and given to them. He does not know whether the police subsequently obtained the necessary warrants to access the emails. John Darwin: the 'canoe man'. 12.20pm: This is the timeline of the John Darwin email-hacking saga, as seen by those at the Leveson inquiry today: 14 May 2008: Email between Tubb and Cole in which Tubb says in a year Darwin will have been brought to justice. Early June 2008: Tubb's sources make clear to him that the prosecution will not be accessing the Darwin's email accounts. 13 June 2008: Tubb accesses John Jones email account for the first time. He speaks to Cole and is authorised to access related accounts of Anne and John Darwin revealed by emails in the first account. 18-19 June 2008: Further emails between Cole and Tubb - the latter indicating that he has accessed a number of email accounts. 23 June 2008: Meeting between Cole, Tubb and Mark Evans, head of home news at Sky News. Evans is appraised for the first time of the activities. It is agreed that the information located should be passed to the police and that Tubb should first put the emails into a database and analyse them. 27 June 2008: Tubb accesses remaining emails in Anne Darwin's account. He updates Cole and Evans with his findings by email. Cole refers to John Ryley who wanted an update on the story. 30 June 2008: Tubb asks Cole by email if Ryley has been briefed yet. 1 July: Ryley is briefed for the first time. 12.17pm: Ryley says he did not find it an easy decision to broadcast the Sky News story based on the information gained from Darwin's email account. "I stopped and reflected on it because we were giving it to police ... and it was reasonable to use after the trial had finished and they had been convicted," he says, adding: "It was a good scoop." 12.15pm: Sky News also unearthed voicemail messages left for Darwin in his email account. Barr says that Ryley in his witness statement is "at pains" to point out that these were not obtained by phone hacking. He adds that they are similarly illicit methods. Ryley says he is not trying to say that one method is less or more illicit than the other. 12.13pm: Barr asks Ryley whether Tubb, the Sky News reporter, was investigating the crime rather than reporting on it. Ryley clarifies that he does not see them as one and the same, adding: "The job of my journalists is to report the news." 12.11pm: Ryley is asked why Sky News believed Darwin's email account would contain newsworthy material. It was because John Darwin had been using emails a lot during the five years he had disappeared. "Sources close to the prosecution were clearly suggesting it might be worth looking at the emails," says Ryley. Leveson intervenes again and asks Ryley if he is suggested that Tubb was encouraged by the prosecution to access Darwin's email account. I'm saying that sources close to the prosecution made clear that they weren't going to be following up on the emails. I don't think there was any encouragement, no," Ryley says. 12.07pm: Barr presses Ryley on whether it is appropriate for a journalist to attempt to illicitly uncover information which they do not believe was being actively sought by the prosecution. "It's very difficult to make a firm decision on a hypothetical story that might arise in the future," Ryley says. Lord Justice Leveson contrasts the approach of Sky News with that of the police, who would have had to obtain a warrant to access Darwin's emails. 12.05pm: Ryley says the Sky News correspondent, Gerard Tubb, believed he could uncover important evidence in the email account of John Darwin after conversations with "sources close to the prosecution" in the court case against either him and his wife, Anne, in 2008. Tubb accessed the emails on 13 June 2008 after a second conversation with sources close to the prosecution and after authorisation from Simon Cole, the former managing editor, says Ryley. He accessed further emails on 18 and 19 June, according to Ryley. Tubb was working on the story for six months, Ryley says, adding that there would have been a series of discussions between sources close to the protagonists on the story "and there would be a lot of give and take" of information. 12.01pm: Ryley says he learnt about the Sky News "canoe man" email hacking on 1 July 2008 and discovered more later. He says he learnt about the second instance of email hacking, of the "Smith family," in September 2011. Asked by Barr, Ryley says that Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB, the owner of Sky News, would have been made aware by general counsel of the email hacking, but does not say when. 11.59am: Ofcom is to investigate Sky News over the hacking of John Darwin's email account. The full story by Mark Sweney can be read here. 11.53am: Ryley says it is "highly unlikely given the nature of our business" that Sky News journalists will be carrying out activity that is potentially unlawful. Barr asks where Sky News would draw the line in the future on prima facie illicit newsgathering methods. It is "highly unlikely" that Sky News will ever authorise email hacking or other subterfuge in the future, Ryley says. Barr presses Ryley on whether Sky News has entirely ruled it out. "Okay, I am pretty much ruling it out ... but journalism is at times a tough business and at times we need to shed light on wrongdoing," Ryley says. 11.51am: Barr asks Ryley if use of subterfuge, including email hacking, would need to be authorised by him as head of news at the broadcaster. Ryley says that is correct. Ryley adds that Sky News is a "non-stop, instant" broadcaster on all platforms. He says there is a mandatory process whereby Sky News bosses authorise in writing potentially illicit newsgathering techniques believed to be in the public interest. 11.48am: Lord Justice Leveson intervenes to point out that the hacking of emails by a Sky News journalist was a prima facie breach of the criminal law. Where does the Ofcom code give any authority for the breach of criminal law? Leveson asks. "It doesn't," Ryley replies. 11.46am: Barr is asking Ryley about the public interest defences outlined in the Ofcom code of practice, which covers newsgathering for the purposes of "revealing or detecting crime." Ryley points out that there is no guidance on the use of subterfuge, and in particular about the interception of emails. 11.43am: Dan Sabbagh, our head of media at the Leveson inquiry, has just tweeted: 11.42am: John Ryley, head of Sky News, has taken the witness stand. David Barr, the counsel to the inquiry, is questioning Ryley. 11.24am: More from Dan Sabbagh; this time on Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher who will give evidence this afternoon. Aidan Barclay is the great unknown; the eldest son of Sir David Barclay, he, like the rest of his family, cultivate a profile so low that it is unclear what Aidan will say today, and what points he will get across. He may explain why the Barclays are such keen newspaper owners, paying £665m for the Telegraph, a sum they will be very unlikely to recoup in full, even if the newspaper is now profitable. Aidan rarely appears in public (although he did appear in a Delaware court at the time of the Telegraph takeover battle). At that time Aidan struggled to account for the motivations and actions of his father and uncle Sir Frederick, but as chairman of the Telegraph Media Group (and an occasional visitor to Number 10) he is well placed to give an operational view. Evgeny Lebedev Photograph: Dave M Benett/Getty Images 11.14am: Dan Sabbagh expects Evgeny Lebedev, the young chairman of the Independent and the Standard, to speak about his familial ties to newspapers when he gives evidence to the inquiry this afternoon. Sabbagh writes: Expect Lebedev to say a little about why his family have come into newspapers, contrasting his experiences of Britain with Russia, where the family also owns half of Novaya Gazeta, the most independent Russian newspaper. Lebedev is more British than Russian; a dual national, he has lived here since he was 8. But while Lebedev will be very critical of phone hacking and law breaking by journalists, and is a strong believer in independent regulation, don't expect much other detail. The young owner has few detailed proposals about how to reform press regulation; it is a matter he is content to leave to specialists. 11.03am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog. The inquiry begins today with John Ryley, the head of news at Sky News, at 11.30am. Ryley is expected to be asked about the circumstances behind a Sky News journalist who was authorised by bosses to hack into email accounts on two separate occasions. Sky News admitted earlier this month that Gerard Tubb, the broadcaster's north England correspondent, accessed the email accounts of John Darwin, the "canoe man" accused of faking his own death when his wife, Anne, was due to stand trial for deception in July 2008. The same reporter also accessed the email accounts of a suspected paedophile and his wife in an investigation that did not lead to any material being published or broadcast. Both email interceptions were approved by Simon Cole, the former managing editor of Sky News, although the offence does not have a public interest defence under the Computer Misuse Act. Ryley defended the actions in a statement earlier this month as in the public interest and "a legitimate part of responsible journalism." The inquiry will also hear today from Aidan Barclay, the chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher, Telegraph Media Group. It will be a rare public appearance for Barclay, who is the son of Telegraph Media Group co-owner Sir David Barclay. Evgeny Lebedev, proprietor of the Independent and the London Evening Standard, will also give evidence on Monday. The Russian-born media boss bought the publisher behind the Evening Standard in January 2009 and became the owner of the Independent and Independent on Sunday in March 2010. Unlike Barclay, Lebedev has spoken publicly about his views on the future of press reform in Britain. He told a committee of MPs and Peers in January that the British press was "under-regulated and over-legislated." Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media, is at the Royal Courts of Justice for the Leveson inquiry this week. He has filed this on today's hearing: Proprietors week begins at Leveson this morning. But while we wait for the Murdochs, plenty of interest looms on Monday. First up is John Ryley, the head of Sky News, and the only non-owner present. Ryley has been asked to explain why his executives authorised email hacking by reporter Gerard Tubb on two occasions - most notably in the case of now-jailed "canoe man" John Darwin. Email hacking is a breach of the Computer Misuse Act, to which there is no public interest defence written in law - but expect a strong defence from Ryley who will say the email access was in the public interest because it helped detect serious crime, namely that Darwin's wife Anne was aware that her husband had faked his own death and the two had cashed in on a life insurance policy. This morning will come down to this: when (if at all) is email hacking justified?