Rebekah Brooks at the Leveson Inquiry: live 11.34 Mr Jay is pressing her on whether she took notice of the polls - the question we have heard many times at this Inquiry of whether they reflect readers' opinions or form them. Jay is also rather gently but sternly ticking Mrs Brooks off to straying off topic Back in June, the main discussion was more that we had lost things to support Mr Brown's government on and what did that mean. We probably hadn't written one editorial in support of the government for some time. 11.30 In September 9, 2009, James Murdoch told Cameron over a drink that the Sun would support Conservatives, the Inquiry hears. Brooks said she knew of the decision around June 2009. Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Brooks had started to have discusions, she said. 11.25 On the subject of Mr Cameron and Murdoch meeting in on holiday in Santorini, Greece, she "isn't sure" whose idea it was. She was there celebrating Elizabeth Murdoch's birthday and did meet Cameron. He stayed for an afternoon and an evening: "I think that's all." I was witness to one conversation with him and Mr Murdoch abuot Europe. Beause we were in Europe. Very general terms. He had subsequent other conversations when I wasn't around. It wasn't a formal sit-down conversation. However the one I was witness too, I happened to be there when they were talking about Europe - I was brought into the conversation. It was a very cordial meeting. It went well. At that point, you weer quite friendly with Mr Cameron, Mr Jay says. Yes Refers to NYE party at husband's farm - it was her sister-in-law's party, she says. The Brooks family had a family connection with the Camerons before I came along She accepts he became her friend too. 11.22 We're back, now discussing Andy Coulson's job. What was your reaction, Mr Jay asks. "I probably said well done," Mrs Brooks replies. He'd had to resign from the NOTW and he'd found a good job...as a friend I was pleased for him.  Were you at all surprised? Not really. Journalists are good communicators. There's along history of journalists going into politics and it didn't occur to me this was any different. 11.21 The Press Association writes: After she became editor of the Sun, in which she admitted Rupert Murdoch had a hand, she spoke to the mogul "frequently," Mrs Brooks said. She revealed that the tycoon "liked X Factor," despite arguing for coverage of serious issues over celebrity, and also quashed a rumour that the pair used to swim together when he was in London. Mrs Brooks also denied that, after she was arrested in 2005 over an alleged assault on her husband, Mr Murdoch sent a dress to the police station where she was being held. She was later released without charge and the police took no further action. The inquiry heard that former prime minister Tony Blair attended a surprise party thrown for Mrs Brooks by Mr Murdoch, but she said she could not remember whether Mr Cameron was there, though it was possible he was. She told the inquiry she met Mr Blair in 1995 after he became leader of the Labour Party, and their meetings became more frequent throughout his decade as premier. They met formally, informally and socially, and often spoke on the telephone, she said, admitting they became "friendly." But she said there were no emails or texts because "he did not have a mobile phone or in fact I think use a computer when he was prime minister." In a written statement she said she became close friends with Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, as well as his spin doctor Alastair Campbell and his partner, Fiona Millar. 11.19 The Inquiry is taking a short break. As ever, sketch writer Michael Deacon captures the atmosphere at the Royal Courts of Justice: During the five-minute interval, some reporters (all right, mainly me) are joking about how coquettish and flirty Mrs B seems. Ooh, you haven't asked about my birthday present! ...Ooh, you need better sources, Mr Jay! ...Ooh, Bobby, you are a tease! Tee-hee-hee! I should probably add that these aren't direct quotes, obviously... 11.11 Read Rebekah Brooks' witness statement in full here 11.07 Moving on to her social circle, referring to her friendship with "Wendi Murdoch, Elizabeth Murdoch and at one stage Sarah Brown." "We all knew each other but we didn't meet as a group like that very often," she clarifies. Probably once. 11.05 Leveson asks what they did to determine their readers views. Using the example of Afghanistan, she says "We are considered to be a very pro-armed forces paper. We were getting an incredible amount of feedback from troops on the grounds and military here. Every editor uses his or her own judgment in putting the paper together and what campaigns we should follow . Hopefully we get it right. It's an instinct. We have a particularly close interaction with Sun readers. Every year I'd go on holiday in a £9.50 holiday park with Sun readers [and staff]. We'd go through their emails. The letters we get from them are always looked at. It's almost a sackable offence to be rude to a reader. We have readers riging up asking directions for somewhere. 11.03 "There were a few issues - particularly Afghanistan - which we had, on behalf of our readers, fallen out with Gordon Brown's goverment," Mrs Brooks tells the Inquiry. "We had fallen out with each other but I still saw him," she adds. We were running out of ways to support Mr Brown's government. 11.01 Mr Jay showing a rare flash of part frustration, part amusement as he clashes with Mrs Brooks over sources: "You won't reveal your sources and I won't reveal mine," he tells her. "Well I think your source might be John Prescott," she fires back. And it's wrong. "We can play this game all day," she adds. 11.00 Michael Deacon writes: Whatever else you think of her, Mrs Brooks is charismatic, self-assured and amusing. You can see how she was able to make friends with so many powerful politicians. Well, that and the fact they were desperate for her newspapers' approval, of course. That may have had something to do with it too 10.54 Brooks does not remember having a prior discussion about which party the Sun would support. She is now speaking about the famous chimney at Wapping, which changed colour smoke to indicate which party they were supporting. "It was funny at the time," she jokes. 10.50 Michael Deacon writes: Gordon Brown's been getting it in the neck a bit, the past couple of days at Leveson. Yesterday Andy Coulson sardonically dismissed his predictions (about Coulson being given the Sun editor's job) as "pretty hopeless," and suggested that Brown didn't know as much about the workings of the Murdoch inner circle as he claimed. Now Mrs Brooks has just said that Brown and his adviser Charlie Whelan were much more "masters of spin" than Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell. We're seeing an awful lot of Mrs Brooks's playful smile here 10.43 You were on Mr Blair's side not Brown's side, Mr Jay states. Neither. I'm on the side of the readers. In the latter years of Blair's prime ministership, the hostilities between him abd Brown got increaingly worse. There did become a Blair camp and a Brown camp. On particular issues, for example the welfare reform bill, hostilities were such that it didn't get through. You would have an insight into how those hostilities affected it. "I was friends with Sarah Brown, who is an amazing lady," she says, but not Gordon Brown at the end You played with an entirely neutral bat? This wasn't a playground spat. We were a newspaper looking after the real, serious concerns of our readers. It wasn't that I would stand on one side of the playground and Alan Rusbridger [Guardian Editor] would stand on the other. Every issue, every feud, was analysed by the media in a just and proper way. Would the Sun be the first to receive scoops? I like to think so, but this is down to great political journalist and great sources, Brooks says. Not all of them [the stories] were particularly pleasant. You don't reveal your sources," she adds. 10.38 Blair's staff were a "constant presence" in Brooks' life, the Inquiry hears. She thinks "they made sure it was." Campbell's appointment is key, she believes. I think that they made a shift change from the John Major government into trying to get as much access to the press as possible. I think the point of New Labour embracing the media in a different way was cos they felt they had a very big story to tell about the changes they wanted to make or had made. On the press' side, access to politicians gave greater insight, she suggests. You can find out quite easily what's going on and hold them to account for it. Compromising jobs for friendship on either side is a failing, she says. Says Gordon Brown and Charlie Whelan were more the "masters of spin" than Blair and Campbell. 10.35 Were you embarrassed when Mr Murdoch indicated you were his priority (to the press during the NOTW scandal)? I wasn't at the time because I didn't think that was what he was saying. He was being asked lots of different questions. I took it to mean 'this issue'. It was only the next day when I saw how it could have been interepreted that I realised. 10.43 The Telegraph's Michael Deacon writes: Incidentally, outside the Royal Court of Justice this morning, where the Leveson Inquiry is held: an artist has propped up a painting he's done of Rebekah Brooks naked on a horse. Whether Mrs Brook posed for the portrait, I'm afraid it slipped my mind to ask. Also outside: a pantomime horse, apparently sent by the fun-loving chaps at the Daily Mirror 10.31 Mr Jay presents a series of rumours to test whether they are true: You and Mr Murdoch used to swim together when he was in London? No, it isn't Nov 2005, Brooks was arrested for alleged assault on ex-husband. You had been to Matthew Freud's 42nd birthday. You kept Mr Murdoch waiting for a breakfast meeting and he sent a dress to the police station? "You need better sources, Mr Jay," she jokes. There was a 40th birthday for you at Murdoch's house? Politicians present? It was a surprise party. I know Mr Blair was there. I'm not sure if Mr Cameron was - possibly. Mr Jay says he will refrain from asking about her birthday present. "You've asked me about swimming, please ask me about the birthday present," she laughs, shaking her head. 10.30 Murdoch would speak to her "very frequently" when she was Sun editor. Sometimes it could be every day. Mainly when he wasn't in the country. 10.25 Newspaper editors are an unelected force, Mr Jay tells her. "I don't view editors as unelected forces," she says. She views them as journalists. There is no doubt that newspaper editors and proprietors are a powerful porce, Mr Jay insists. I understand, sir, what you're saying. What I'm trying to say is part for newspaper like the Sun your power is your readership. It's not an individual power; its a readership power. I think that's very important. At the Sun, the reader is most powerful. Every day the readers can unelect us as newspapers. Newspapers can present things with spin, Mr Jay says. "I wouldn't say spin, I would say attitude," she replies. 10.22 Mr Jay asked whether the Sun reflected Murdoch's views. Mrs Brooks recalls his statement saying "If you want to see my views, read the Sun." "I don't think he was being totally literal about that," she says. Believes the Sun reflects its readers. 10.21 Les Hinton was the one who offered her the job - she spoke to Murdoch later. 10.20 There were parts of the Human Rights Act we campaigned against at the Sun 10.19 Rupert Murdoch likes X-Factor, she reveals 10.15 Moving on to Murdoch. Brooks says he is more interested in the Sun in terms of political issues, but also applied to the NOTW when she was there. He would have been aware of her political views, she says. "In some areas" her views differ to his. We disagreed about quite a few things. More in the margins of it rather than the principles. We had a lot of disagreements but in the main, on the big issues, we had similar views. Explains this includes environment, DNA database, immingration, top up frees, the amount of celebrity, columnists. "I liked more celebrity and he wanted more serious issues," she explains. 10.13 How did these message get into the public domain? We have a strong, free press, Mrs Brooks says. Journalists doing their job. 10.11 Where there any emails or texts from Mr Cameron or Mr Osborne? No, although when we got the image back there was one from Mr Cameron that was compressed. There's no content in it. Did you receive any messages of commiseration or support? Mainly indirectly. I had some indirect message from some politicians. She explains these were from some Tories and a couple (very few) Labour politicians. Mr Jay asks her to please be clearer. She elaborates they came from Number 10, Number 11, Home Office and Foreign Office. Received one from Tony Blair Mr Brown "was probably getting the bunting out," she jokes. Confirms she did receive a text from Cameron "along the lines" of the "keep your head up" message. 10.10 Mrs Brooks has had no access to work emails since she left: she believes these were blocked. Says her blackberry was imaged by her legal team after it was returned to her from the MPS. Contained about six weeks of emails and about a month of texts. "We had to image them and we had some problems with that," she adds. 10.08 She clarifies she is under police investigation. Lord Leveson says he is grateful for the time she has put into producing her statements. 10.07 Mr Jay takes her through the timeline of her career. She replies "yes sir," adding a few date corrections in as requested. 10.06 With little introduction, Mr Jay instructs her to look at the witness statements in front of her 10.04 Rebekah Brooks is now being sworn in 09.59 The cheeky people at Popbitch are offering a "Rebekah Text Bingo" game for viewers to play along with today's hearing 09.56 Sky News is reporting that Tony Blair sent Mrs Brooks a "Good luck" text before she appeared at CMS phone hacking 09.55 In 2003, Mrs Brooks appeared before a Commons Select Committee, where she admitted the NOTW paid police for information, before Andy Coulson clarified: "We operate within the code and the law." 09.53 There is a more detailed profile of Mr and Mrs Brooks here 09.51 Earlier this week, it emerged Mr Cameron sent Mrs Brooks a supportive text after she resigned over the phone hacking scandal, teling her to "keep her head up" 09.48 Mrs Brooks' former boss, former NOTW editor Phil Hall, has told the Telegraph how he first introduced her to Rupert Murdoch 09.47 Mrs Brooks arrived at the Inquiry shortly before 9 o'clock, apparently only to be greeted by a pantomime horse 09.44 In terms of her personal connections, Mrs Brooks and her husband Charlie are key members of the influential Chipping Norton set, which also includes Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, and Mr Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth and her PR guru husband Matthew Freud. She was said to have been close to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, with both David Cameron and Gordon Brown attending her wedding. 09.40 While we wait for Mrs Brooks to appear, it may be helpful to briefly outline of her career thus far: Born on May 27 1968, Mrs Brooks grew up in Warrington, Cheshire • She studied at the Sorbonne, Paris • She then landed a job as a secretary at Eddie Shah's Messenger Group and persuaded employers to let me become a reporter. • In 1989, she moved to the News of the World's Sunday magazine. • In 1998, she was sent to the Sun • In 2000, she became editor of the News of the World aged just 31. • In 2003 she became the first woman to edit the Sun • In 2009 became News International chief executive. 09.35 She has already been arrested as part of the criminal investigation into practices at the News of the World, which closed in the wake of phone hacking allegations. Lord Leveson will not, therefore, will not be able to question her on the subject and the Inquiry is expected to steer clear of all references to the subject. Instead, today's hearing will focus on the relationship between politicians and the press. As she is a personal friend of David Cameron and is said to be extremely well-connected, it is hoped her evidence will shed a great deal of light on the topic. 09.31 Today, we will hear from Rebekah Brooks, 43, who has worked for News Corporation and Rupert Murdoch for more than half her life. She has edited the News of the World, the Sun and until recently was chief executive of News International. 09.30 Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Leveson Inquiry into the relationship with the press and the police.