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The press and the prime minister, forced to live together, were today effectively on trial together.

David Cameron swapped the comfort of Downing Street, where magically doors open for him and he's addressed as prime minister, for a long and lonely walk into the Royal Courts of Justice where he was cross-examined for hour after long hour by a lawyer who called him plain Mr Cameron.

Speaking about what he called the "permanent battle" of communicating in the 24/7 media age he looked at ease.

Questioned though about his relationship with the Murdochs, with his friend Rebekah Brooks, his hiring of Andy Coulson and his decision to give Jeremy Hunt responsibility for judging the BSkyB bid he looked tense, edgy, uncomfortable and again and again said he couldn't recall events.

There was no single new fact that fundamentally changes our understanding of what happened.

There were though a series of impressions which the prime minister is very unlikely to welcome.