Gordon Brown MP

Rupert Murdoch has stood behind his comments to the Leveson Inquiry that Gordon Brown called him to “declare war” on News International after the Sun’s endorsement of the Conservatives.

Despite the Cabinet Office today releasing information supporting Mr Brown’s denial, the News Corporation chairman tweeted today: “I stand by every word is aid [sic] at Leveson.”

The Cabinet Office earlier confirmed only one phone call took place between Gordon Brown and Rupert Murdoch in 2010, when the two men apparently spoke about Afghanistan.

Mr Brown and Mr Murdoch gave contradictory evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, Mr Murdoch saying that Mr Brown warned him in 2010: "Your company has declared war on my Government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company."

The Cabinet Office statement read: "That call took place on the 10th of November 2009. This was followed up by an email from Gordon Brown to Rupert Murdoch on the same day referring to the earlier conversation on Afghanistan.

"Four witness statements have been submitted to the Inquiry on the content of the call by staff who worked in No.10 Downing Street and who were the four and sole personnel on the phone call."

David Cameron, George Osborne, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband will appear before the Leveson Inquiry into media standards next week, it was announced today.

The Chancellor and former prime minister Gordon Brown will appear on Monday, before Mr Miliband, Harriet Harman and former prime minister John Major give evidence on Tuesday.

The Deputy Prime Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond will be appearing on Wednesday, before Mr Cameron gives evidence on Thursday.

The full schedule can be found on the Inquiry's website here.

Rupert Murdoch has admitted there was a "cover up" at News of the World over the phone hacking scandal.

But Tom Crone, the newspaper's former legal manager, hit back at Mr Murdoch's evidence, releasing a statement claiming insinuations that he was involved in a cover up are a "shameful lie".

Giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry for the second day, Mr Murdoch said there was "no question" in his mind that "someone took charge of a cover up".

The News Corp chairman insisted he and other senior executives were "misinformed" about the extent of phone-hacking at the tabloid, which he was forced to close last summer.

Mr Murdoch said he "panicked" when he made the decision to close the paper, and added he wishes he had done it sooner.

“I panicked. I'm glad I did," he said.

"I’m sorry I didn’t close it years before and put a Sunday Sun in but I’ll tell you what held us back – the News of the World readers.”

He put much of the blame for the lack of transparency at the News of the World on senior executives at the time such as Len Hinton and Colin Myler, as well as the lawyers used by News Corp to investigate. However he still apologised for the scandal, which he described as a “serious blot on my reputation”.

Elsewhere in the testimony, Mr Murdoch defended his comments yesterday that Gordon Brown had “declared war” on the Murdoch newspapers, after the former Prime Minister today dismissed them as “wholly wrong”.