Former Tory chancellor Kenneth Clarke describes him as the most influential man in British politics.

As veteran political editor of The Sun he won scoop of the year at the What The Papers Say Awards last month, for his publication of material from the private memo from Tony Blair, indicating that he believed voters had lost confidence in him.

The European Commission in the UK published a report called Press Watch last April, which accuses newspapers of deliberately misleading readers about the EU.

In response Mr Kavanagh said: "We are sceptical because we regard the EU as corrupt and anti-democratic."

Educated at Reigate grammar school, he started his career on a local weekly before joining the Hereford Evening News as agricultural correspondent.

He moved to Australia and worked on various newspapers finally joining a Murdoch paper as political correspondent.

He returned to Britian and worked for The Sun as industrial correspondent before becoming political editor.

He won Journalist of the Year and Specialist Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards in 1997.