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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has faced criticism for his close ties to media magnate Rupert Murdoch when he was in office, appeared before the Leveson inquiry into media standards on Monday (May 28).
The inquiry, set up by the British government in the wake of scandals involving phone-hacking for journalistic ends and payments to public servants, such as police officers, for sensitive information, has been hearing a series of key witnesses from the country's political and media establishments.
During his 13 years as PM, Blair, the leader of a centre-left party and famously noted for his media savvy, sought to win the backing of traditionally right-wing British newspapers.
