Cameron denies "grand deal" to help Murdoch

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has denied favoring Rupert Murdoch's business interests in exchange for political support from his newspaper empire, and defended a minister's handling of an ill-fated takeover bid involving the media magnate.

British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Sunday he had struck no secret deals with media baron Rupert Murdoch whereby policy was traded for his newspapers' political support.The government has been under pressure over its closeness to Murdoch's News Corporation after Murdoch and his son James gave evidence under oath last week at the British inquiry into press ethics.Cameron openly admitted courting newspaper proprietors to get his point of view across and that the relationship between politicians and the press had become too close.