It’s going to be a very long day for Jeremy Hunt and Downing Street. Already just an hour in to his evidence the Culture Secretary has admitted he was  “sympathetic” to the bid, that he didn’t understand the process and that his SpAd Adam Smith knew his views on it all. One of the texts we will be hearing about a lot was from Hunt to James Murdoch when the European competition regulators approved the bid: ” Congratulations on Brussels. Just Ofcom to go.” That was the day he was appointed to oversee the bid…

UPDATE:

Hunt's written statement "I did not interpret my role to mean all social relations were suspended with everyone associated with the bid".Mmm

— Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) May 31, 2012

UPDATE II: Coulson, on oath again, said he didn’t have anything to do with Cable decision or BskyB, yet Hunt admits he was emailing and texting him about it.

UPDATE III: Hunt has conceded that he was communicating with News Corp through his private email address and that his DCMS account is not run by him.