Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has denied that the Labour Party were too close to Rupert Murdoch's News International while it was in power.

Speaking to Sky News Australia, Blair has said that political leaders were bound to have relationships with big media companies, as had been the way for the last 40 year.

"The power of the media is such that you can't not have a relationship with people who are major and powerful media people," said Blair.

"And that's not limited to News International.

"There's a slight sense in the UK where it's all about Rupert Murdoch and News International - that's true of any of the major media outlets.
"So, I think you're bound to have a relationship.

"I think it's a lot easier to have the right type of relationship and a healthy one if it's clear that there's a real distinction between news reporting and commentary."

It has recently been revealed that Chancellor George Osborne met with senior figures within News Corporation on 16 occasions, including two meetings with Rupert Murdoch, over a one-year period.