How Murdoch had a hotline to the PM in the run-up to Iraq war

From The Independent, via News Hounds:

Lance Price, Mr Campbell's deputy, called Mr Murdoch 'the 24th member of the [Blair] Cabinet'. He added: 'His presence was always felt. No big decision could ever be made inside No10 without taking account of the likely reaction of three men, Gordon Brown, John Prescott and Rupert Murdoch. On all the really big decisions, anybody else could safely be ignored.'

I almost don't want to believe that.