"None of these dinners were fundraising dinners or were paid for by the taxpayer, " Mr Cameron insisted.

BBC: David Cameron publishes list of all donors dining at No 10

For all that Mr Cameron insisted this week that changing course was a sign of strength not weakness, his capitulations are piling up.

ECONOMIST: This week's U-turn

Tory leader David Cameron insisted Mr Coulson's job was safe, but stressed it was "wrong for newspapers to breach people's privacy with no justification".

BBC: Prescott calls for hacking probe