Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his communications chief Andy Coulson, saying he was doing “a very good job”.
Mr Coulson has faced pressure after revelations about phone hacking by News of the World journalists while he was editor of the newspaper.
Mr Cameron was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if it was true that Mr Coulson had offered his resignation.
He declined to answer, saying he did not “go into private conservations”.
Mr Cameron said Mr Coulson had resigned as News of the World editor when he found out about the “bad things” that had happened, and added that he did not think Mr Coulson should be punished twice.
He had given the former editor “a second chance” when he had appointed him, adding that Mr Coulson had done a “very good job” for the government and for the country.
“He’s extremely embarrassed by the endless publicity and speculation about what happened many years ago when he was editor of the News of the World,” he said.
Mr Cameron said he did not think he had “received a single complaint” about Mr Coulson’s communications team during the years he had worked for him.
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