Downing Street Press Conference
27 November 2007
The Prime Minister took questions from local, national and international journalists today in his regular press conference. Areas covered included the EU Africa summit, Iraq, capital gains tax and the Middle East.
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
Read the transcript
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
I think everybody has known that when Lord Hayden Phillips was looking at party funding that things had to change. We have been waiting for the results of his review to see what has to be done.
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content] I made it very clear that with the Hayden Phillips Review under way, there would have to be major reforms in party funding. These reforms include caps on donations and other ways in which we can ensure that there is transparency in political party funding, we were waiting for the conclusion of the Hayden Phillips reports to take the necessary steps to make reforms, [party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content] Of course people are free to give donations to voluntary organisations in any way and we have got to say that that is a very important part of our political democracy [party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
Prime Minister do you think this makes the case for increased tax-payer funding of political parties stronger or weaker?
Prime Minister:
The debate about the funding of political parties is going to go on. In every country in the world we have problems arising from the fact that political parties have got to raise money from individuals in the community, usually high value donors as they are called to be able to finance electoral politics in the first place and it has always been the case that people have financed politics in a voluntary way. In some countries, as a result of the worries about this system, state funding of political parties for particular functions has been agreed. In Britain, as you know, there is funding of the Opposition Parties for the work that they do in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, so to some extent the principle has been accepted that there should be some support from the public purse for the practice of politics in our country. But as I said, the Hayden Phillips Review that was to bring together all the parties, make recommendations about the way forward, see if we can get a consensus. He has just obviously been reporting about how far he has got on that. Jack Straw, the Justice Minister, is considering what he has said, and we will have them to make recommendations about how we move forward. There are a number of options that have been put before us by Hayden Phillips and we will look at them. [party political content]
Question:
Prime Minister if I could go to abroad now. A British teacher, Gillian Gibbons, has been arrested by the Sudanese on some ridiculous charges. Anyone who studies Middle Eastern Islam would know that millions of Muslim children will call their pets and their teddy bears by Muslim names including that of Mohammed. Obviously it looks like more of a political sort of punch at Britain. Will the British Foreign Office invite the Sudanese Ambassador, summon him and give him an ultimatum and will you actually call on your friends in the Muslim community to stand by a fellow Briton abroad?
Prime Minister:
Well I feel very sorry about what has happened to Gillian Gibbons. She is as you know a British citizen. I understand she has not yet been charged with any offence by the authorities. I can confirm that our Embassy in Khartoum is giving all appropriate consular assistance to her. Embassy officials, as you may know, visited her yesterday, the Foreign Office is in touch with her next of kin and we have been in contact with and will continue to be in contact with the Sudanese Police authorities and the Sudanese Government to make sure that we can ascertain that she is safe and well and to clarify the position so that she can be released soon.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
On a wider point, there seems to be a sense that the wheels are coming off the government. How do you account for being at 27 points in the poll. Is it Northern Rock, is it the Child Benefits fiasco, could it be your leadership?
Prime Minister:
I think we are dealing with all the issues as they arise. As you probably know, the first few weeks when I became Prime Minister we had to deal with floods, we had to deal with Foot and Mouth, we had to deal with a terrorist outbreak. We have since had to deal with Bluetongue, we have had to deal with a number of other animal diseases that have had to be dealt with and we have had to deal with the global financial crisis and the follow-through from that on Northern Rock, and now of course we have had to deal with this particular incident related to the Labour Party where I am determined to clean things up as quickly as possible. I think people will look first of all at whether they as individual citizens are being properly protected and I think that they will know that everything that I am doing is to ensure the security and prosperity of the British people and I think people will look in the round at how we are dealing with and acting quickly when things that are sometimes beyond our control arise and have got to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Question:
Prime Minister, you can't deny that it has been a dire few weeks for you. How do you think all this has affected the way that the public sees you now, most importantly the way that they trust your government?
Prime Minister:
I think that people will take a longer term view. I said yesterday when I spoke to the CBI that there were major long-term challenges that this country had to face up to. I went through the issue of education and skills, of science. I also went through the issues of stability in the economy arising from global financial turbulence and I went through some of the other long-term ....
Question:
... people are angry about the missing disks?
Prime Minister:
As you rightly say people are angry that people's information was sent by post and although it was password protected and although it was decompressed, it should never have happened. It should have been encrypted, it should not have been sent. The instructions under which people are supposed to operate mean that this information should not be sent by post and it should not be sent without the appropriate official at a senior level giving permission for it. Now that is subject to an inquiry. In fact we have set up the inquiry that is being led by the senior partner of Price Waterhouse and we have also looked at what is happening with procedures in every government department. Look, problems do arise for which the Prime Minister directly is not responsible. You have got to deal with these problems. The question is, are we dealing with these problems? When it is a question of the Inland Revenue we have acted quickly to make sure that the banks can protect the savings of every individual family in this country. There has been no fraudulent activity happening as far as we know as a result of warning the banks and making it clear that they should look for any suspicious transactions. [party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
Can you be absolutely sure and categorical that Harriet Harman has done nothing wrong and will not have to pay the price with her job?
Prime Minister:
I think Harriet Harman will be very clear in the statement [party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
Naming names?
Prime Minister:
If the inquiry names names, then these names will be named!
Question:
Prime Minister, if I could take you to capital gains tax for a moment. Yesterday you told the CBI that you will listen and discuss on the proposed changes, which sounded like you might be prepared to move. Your spokesman yesterday afternoon said no, the policy is unchanged. This morning David Cameron told the CBI that he thought he can change your mind on this one. I just wonder if you could clear up where you are. Are you prepared to change your mind?
Prime Minister:
Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, is speaking to the CBI today. He has always said that the discussions on the implementation of the decision in the Pre-Budget Report will happen with the business community. These discussions have already happened. The implementation of the policy has not yet been finalised. But I would say on capital gains tax this, that when we came into power in 1997 the rate of capital gains tax was 40%. At the Pre-Budget Report the rate was set at 18% for assets. That compares with a rate that is the maximum in Germany, not at 18% but 22.5%, in the USA it is 35%, in France 33%, Japan 40%, and most of the other countries have far higher rates of capital gains tax than we have. So I think this debate about capital gains tax has got to be seen in its proper perspective, that in 1997 the rate was 40%, today the rate is half as much as that as a result of all the decisions that we made as a government.
Question:
Earlier you said that other Cabinet Ministers will answer for themselves. They answer to you for their jobs. Are you satisfied with the answers they have given so far. And particularly on Harriet Harman - on Harriet Harman - just in case anyone who has heard your answers on Harriet Harman so far is in any doubt about your support for her, does she enjoy your full confidence and do you believe she should remain as your Deputy in the Labour Party and a member of your Cabinet?
Prime Minister:
Harriet Harman, I believe, has issued a statement in the last few minutes, as has Hilary Benn. [party political content]
Question:
Inaudible.
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
The Archbishop of Canterbury in a magazine article recently really lashed out at UN foreign policy, talking about Iraq as a violent burst of action, saying that the US had lost some moral high ground since September 11 and that it had created the worst of all worlds in the Middle East. What is your reaction to his comments?
Prime Minister:
That my policy is that what we had to do in Iraq was necessary, that in the situation in which we find ourselves in Basra we are making progress, that we have been able as a result of the progress that we have made to return Iraq to greater stability, to reduce the number of troops that we have there, that in the next few weeks we will move from a combat role to an overwatch role in Iraq, and that we will show that greater stability is being created in the province for which we have responsibility. Now I do not deny that issues relating to Iraq have divided public opinion in Britain, and I do not deny that there have been questions about how we have responded since the fall of Saddam Hussein to the reconstruction of Iraq. But what I do say is that in the last few months, and obviously I visited Iraq in September, I saw a major improvement in the security situation, I saw new economic development happening in Basra, I saw an infant democracy being supported by security forces that were not just the British security forces, but by the training of Iraqi security forces - now nearly 30,000 in the south of Iraq - and we are making progress in making sure that people in Iraq themselves have a stake in the democracy of the future.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
I just wonder whether you have any advice for Kevin Rudd, and that his stand on Kyoto will make a difference in Bali? And also on John Howard, the end of his government was actually marked by big mistakes and a lack of communication between party leader and party organisation. Do you see any similarities?
Prime Minister:
Well let me say first of all that I telephoned Kevin Rudd immediately after the election result and congratulated him becoming the Australian Prime Minister. I also telephoned John Howard, the former Prime Minister, and thanked him for the contribution he has made to the international community over many years serving as Prime Minister of Australia. Kevin Rudd has already announced that he is going to adopt the Kyoto targets. I think that is a very positive step in line with the policy of the British government and many other governments around the world. He has already said that he will press at the Bali talks for further carbon emission reductions, and I believe that his contribution to that debate is going to be very important for the future. And of course I both wish him well in Australia and I will be looking at how he proceeds to learn any lessons that are necessary for Britain.
Question:
Prime Minister in addition to establishing the facts, you said Their Lordships will, in your words, look at procedures we will lay down in the future. What can they tell you that you shouldn't already know after 10 years in power?
Prime Minister:
[party political content] I suspect that in all areas of political party funding we all need to make improvements over these next few years, and this of course goes side by side with what may happen over the implementation of the Hayden-Phillips review of political party funding. [party political content]
Question:
Prime Minister what are your expectations of Annapolis and will Britain host a follow-up conference?
Prime Minister:
I am very determined that we will work with all parties who are in the Annapolis talks, at which the Foreign Secretary is present, to make it possible for there to be progress in a Middle East settlement. As you may know over the last few days we have said that when security is restored and progress can be made, both on settlements and on other issues, we are happy to provide funds for the Palestinian authorities to enable the economic development of that area to take place. The reduction that is needed in poverty and unemployment is something that I think every citizen around the world will want to see, and we will put up money that is necessary for the reconstruction. We have published our economic road map, but of course the question at Annapolis is whether a document or framework can be agreed for further detailed talks over the next few months, and that framework of course will have to include not just the immediate issues of security and of settlements, it will also have to include the issues that are usually referred to as the final status issues, and that is the future of Jerusalem and of course the fate of Palestinian refugees. All these issues will have to be discussed over the next few months, but I hope we can start a process at Annapolis which begins with a framework that can lead to very detailed talks for the future.
Question:
Prime Minister, I am from a local Bengali newspaper. Cyclone Sidar struck Bangladesh on 15 November, cost more than 4,000 lives, more than half a million homeless and badly affected 6.7 million people. What is the response, on that humanitarian ground what is the response from the British government?
Prime Minister:
We have already expressed through our International Development Secretary our condolences and our sympathies to the Bangladesh people, and we have already provided some aid to make sure that the recovery from this disaster can be speeded up. And we are ready, if I may say so, to give more aid when it becomes necessary to make sure that people who are homeless can be housed and that there is proper provision for people who need medical care.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
[party political content] And secondly you mentioned Hayden-Phillips' discussions, one of the reasons why those talks failed was because of your refusal to accept a cap on donations from individuals and organisations. Are you now going to rethink that opposition?
Prime Minister:
(party political content)
Question:
Prime Minister, the Iraqi government announced yesterday that they will be asking the UN to renew the mandate of the multinational forces for only one more year. That means by December 2008 there will be no mandate for the multinational forces to be there. The US is already in talks with Iraq regarding keeping their troops for a strategic longer period of time in Iraq. Will Britain be seeking some similar agreement with Iraq, or by 2009 will all British military presence end?
Prime Minister:
Well the first thing to establish is whether there is to be a further UN resolution agreed for a year or for whatever time, and I don't want to pre-empt the discussion on that that has still got to be finalised. The second thing you ask is about the role of the British forces in Iraq. We will do whatever job is necessary in Iraq, but let me just say our position is moving over the next few weeks as a result of the success of what we have done in Basra, from the position of being in combat to being in overwatch, and gradually we will take a training role where we will support the Iraqi security forces in them being responsible for law and order and for the security of the Basra and southern region, and our role will be primarily to train the Iraqi forces for the jobs that they are carrying out. But I am not going to set a timetable and I am going to wait until we know what has happened with the UN resolution that has still got to be finalised.
Question:
Back in October you said you wanted more time to set out your vision for change in Britain. Some people are saying that the government is drifting a bit at the moment. I just wonder whether you have already set out your vision or whether we are still waiting to find out exactly what it is?
Prime Minister:
I think you will see in The Queen's Speech we looked at three of the major issues that we had to face for the future. We looked at how we could move forward housing, because so many people are denied affordable housing in this country. We also announced the biggest Education Bill that is to be passed in this country to raise the education leaving age, the first Bill of this nature for 60 years. And I want every child in this country to have the opportunity of college university education or an apprenticeship. As far as the Health Service is concerned, we have set up the Darzai Review and its vision of the future for the National Health Service will be published in the New Year so that people can see for themselves what a 21st century Health Service will look like. And as we build for the future on the framework of stability that we have created, then I think you will see a Britain that is increasingly a society where opportunity is encouraged, where aspirations are furthered, and where at the same time there is fairness in the way that we treat all individual citizens, based on having decent public services, a strong economy and making sure that people have the best chances in life. So over the next few months I think you will see, whether it is on the constitution or whether it is on individual public services, the nature of the policies that we are pursuing in relation to that vision being set out.
Question:
Last week - it seems a very long time ago now - but you made a very important speech about the environment. You set out your vision for Britain giving a lead there. What role do you think that nuclear power and a new generation of nuclear power stations should play in that? And are you prepared to streamline the planning system in order to get the new generation of power stations through more quickly?
Prime Minister:
Well as you know the nuclear consultation is taking place, it has just closed for representations, a decision will be announced in January and before we announce that decision, because of the legal process, I cannot say any more than that the government has put forward proposals that there should be a new generation of nuclear power stations. As far as the planning system is concerned, you may know that today we are publishing the new Planning Bill. That Planning Bill is designed to allow both local and national consultation at a very high level to take place on particular areas of policy, but it is also designed to streamline the final decision making process through an independent planning commission. Now that was the recommendation of the Eddington and the Barker Reports which wanted to deal with the long delays that have been taking place in the planning procedures in our country which have hampered economic development for the future. Now that Bill is published, there will be a debate on it, a second reading debate in parliament, and then we will see how we can progress. But long term we have got to have a better planning system, just as we need a better transport infrastructure, and we need to deal with the question, as you rightly say, of how we can meet the sustainable energy needs of our country for the future.
Question:
Prime Minister, is it still your intention to stay away from the EU-Africa Summit if Robert Mugabe attends? Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany has said she welcomes him coming to the summit so he can be challenged on his policies. Wouldn't it be more courageous for you to go and confront him about those policies? [party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Now as far as the African Union conference is concerned, I made it clear in September that we cannot sit down at the same table as President Mugabe. We do not believe that from the record that we have seen over these last few years that there is anything to be gained from a dialogue between Britain and Zimbabwe. We have also made it clear that if Zimbabwe became a democracy again, if it had free and fair elections and democracy was restored in that country, then we would be prepared to be part of a major programme of economic and social reconstruction. And I have to say that when you see a country that was one of the richest countries in Africa, but where now the life expectancy of women in that country is only 34, when you see poverty that affects 80% of the population, when you know that 4 million Zimbabweans are now refugees in South Africa alone, and when you know that inflation is running into hundreds of percent, then you know that the collapse of the Zimbabwe economy and society is something for which President Mugabe and his policies have got to take full responsibility. We will not be prepared to sit down at the same table as Mugabe.
Question:
Prime Minister, post-Annapolis, will you become personally involved in for example the offer of funds which you have made available possibly for the Palestinians? What guarantees can be made that we are not going to go back to the same syndrome that there was in EU funding that money given to the Palestinians will release other funds to carry on terrorism? What help can be given to stop Israel facing a daily barrage of rockets? And finally can you just give an assessment in your view whether it was right to go ahead last night with an Oxford Union debate which caused policing costs?
Prime Minister:
Well as far as the situation in Israel and Palestine is concerned, the security of the Israeli people is paramount, and let me say any terrorist activity is to be not only condemned but to be prevented at all costs. As far as the Palestinian people are concerned, we are prepared to support particularly the work of Mr Abbas and Mr Fayed in trying to restore the fortunes of the Palestinian economy and society. And that is why we have been prepared, subject to security concerns being met, to offer money to aid for example the creation of small business parks in the Palestinian areas. So we are prepared, but subject to the security of the Israeli people, to make support available to the Palestinian people. But the best way of moving this forward is for the approaches that have been made by Mr Olmert, and I talked to the Prime Minister at the weekend, by releasing prisoners, by making an offer about the settlements, that combines with a willingness on the Palestinian authorities to give guarantees about security, and if that were to happen I think not only Britain, but the whole world community, would be prepared to support measures that would reduce the poverty and unemployment in the Palestinian areas.
On the Oxford Union, I understand that this was as a result of a referendum that took place in which all the Oxford Union students had the chance to vote, so it only took place after a vote had happened.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
As far as the general issue of politics, Ministers must accept responsibility for the decisions that they make, and I believe that they do.
Question:
Regarding Kosovo, I would like to ask whether Britain is prepared to confirm the independence ... and if so why how Kosovo is different from other autonomous regions where the minority of the country is a minority in the region? And also whether you do not have concerns regarding adverse effects in the region?
Prime Minister:
Well I understand the worries of the Kosovan people at this stage, but the report that is being done about the future of Kosovo is something that we will have to look. And then I hope the European Union will be able to act together on this matter. But until we have these details I think it is premature for me to give advice. Let us look at whether we can reach consensus within the European Union and beyond about what is the right way forward.
Question:
A couple of weeks ago you told parliament that you had been in contact with the Irish government about the future of the common travel area when electronic borders are introduced in 2009. Are you in a position yet to say what will happen to the common travel area? And when you told parliament that foreign nationals would have to carry biometric ID by the end of next year, would that then include Irish nationals in Britain?
Prime Minister:
The talks that I had with Mr Ahern included discussions about the first set of issues that you raise, but we haven't reached a conclusion of these talks. And of course some of the matters you raise are the subject of the reform treaty that is now being discussed in Europe and of course will come before the House of Commons, and until that happens I have got no conclusions of our talks to announce.
Question:
Can I give you the opportunity to remove any ambiguity whatsoever? Do you have full confidence in Harriet Harman - yes or no?
Prime Minister:
I have said exactly that, that Harriet Harman has issued a statement [party political content].
Question:
Prime Minister it is obvious now that the Lugavoy affair has badly damaged the relationship between Britain and Russia. Are you still insisting on the extradition of that person? And are you planning to take any steps, if any, to improve the relationship of that country?
Prime Minister:
Well of course, because if it is true that the authorities in Britain are seeking the extradition of someone who is held responsible and we want to arrest for a particular crime in London, then in my view it is the duty of the authorities in Russia to respond to that request. So we continue to ask the Russian authorities to extradite to London the person that the prosecuting authorities in Britain hold responsible for this crime. I want good relations with Russia. I want us to work well on all the major economic, social and security issues of our times, but we cannot have a situation where an innocent person is killed in London and no action can result because although someone has been identified as a potential assailant, we cannot have the cooperation of another country's authorities to release that person so that they can be tried fairly in a court in Britain.
Question:
I just want to ask you how would you describe your first term as Prime Minister?
Prime Minister:
Meeting lots of different challenges, in fact a new challenge every day, a challenge that tests whether, not that you can avoid some of these issues happening, because they are outside your control, but whether when these issues happen you can deal with them expeditiously and deal with them to the benefit of the British people. And I think people will look back over these last few months and start with terrorism, and floods, and foot and mouth, and blue tongue, and all the different problems that we had to face, including a global financial crisis where we now have for Northern Rock a bidder that is the company's preferred bidder to take a share in that company, and they will look back and see that these problems were dealt with in a way that was efficient and a way that was rapid to deal with the problems that we actually faced.
Question:
Sir David King is giving his valedictory speech this afternoon where he has backed the use of GM crops in Britain and repeats his call for the mass cull of badgers to deal with bovine CV. Are you going to follow that advice, and if not, why not?
Prime Minister:
We are not in that position at the moment. It seems to me that there is only one approved GM crop in Europe. We would have to see if any commercial proposals came forward. So I am not in a position to agree with what David King has said, but of course he is very much entitled to the views that he puts forward.
Question:
Many commentators saw at the beginning of your Premiership Prime Minister that you tried to signal a certain distance to America as compared to your predecessor. And others now read that there was a back-tracking on that. Did they all misread your comments and your signals?
Prime Minister:
When I went to America a few months ago I said that America was our strongest individual alliance and I was determined to make it stronger in the years to come. And the reason I feel so personally about that is that what we share with America are values that we hold in common: a belief in liberty and opportunity, a belief in working together in the international community for peace and prosperity. And I believe that the relationship that we have with America will remain strong in the years to come and it is absolutely right for Britain that this is the case and I will endeavour to do my best so that not only Britain, but other members of the European Union like Germany and France, can have even stronger relationships with America in the future. This is the best way forward for the world community.
Question:
Just a follow up from a previous answer you gave about Ministers having to take responsibility. As you know there have been quite a lot of calls for resignations recently in relation to officials both inside the government and senior officials outside it. What distinguishes the circumstances or mistakes that mean one official has to resign and another official or Minister doesn't have to resign?
Prime Minister:
If you take what happened in the HMRC, now obviously we have set up an inquiry into that. Let's see what that inquiry finds out. But the information we have at the moment is that what happened is that while procedures can always be improved, the procedures in relation to the Child Benefit Office where there was a loss of data - a loss of data that has not of course led to fraudulent activity as far as we know - but it was the procedures that were not being followed by the officials who were responsible for honouring these procedures. Now in these circumstances either the Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Ministers in the Treasury could not be expected to be held responsible for the individual actions of officials in the Child Benefit Office, but of course we are responsible for the policy decision that are made, and I believe that we are accountable to parliament for that.
Question:
Prime Minister, why do you think that England keeps losing in football? Do you think it is because too many foreign players, or maybe you need a foreign coach - maybe an Italian?
Prime Minister:
I certainly can't say it is because they don't have enough Scottish players in their team - given the record of Scotland over recent years as well. I think there is an issue that all of us are looking at in relation to football in our country, and I think a lot of people have said this over the last few days, that we are trying to encourage more young people into sport. 20% of young people were doing sport at schools a few years ago, now it is 80%, and the more young people are doing more hours of sport, the more we will breed not just athletes who will play football, but athletes that will play other sports as well. And I sense in Britain - despite the fact that England sadly lost against Croatia - a growing interest in sport, more young people playing sport, and I hope that will yield the international players of the future.
Question:
With hindsight Prime Minister do you regret not calling for a snap election?
Prime Minister:
I said at the time that I didn't think it was the right thing to do. Of course when people put it to me I considered it, but I thought the right thing to do was to continue to govern, to continue to set our policies out. And if I may say so, one of the tests of the next few months for the British economy and for Britain will be whether as other countries face difficulties arising from global financial turbulence, the difficulties that we undoubtedly have faced, that we can ride these and ensure that we maintain the stability and growth of the British economy. And I would have thought for the British public that that is going to be a bigger test of whether the government is performing well for them, than some of the other tests that are laid before us. Our duty at all times is to take the long term view, however unpopular and however difficult it may be, so that we make the right decisions for the future of the country and that we will continue to do as an administration.
Question:
Shall we just try one more time, Prime Minister, on the Harriet Harman question? How much are you behind her? Are you 100% behind her, 90, 20, 10? Do you wish she would go and jump off a cliff? Do you really want her to be in this job?
Prime Minister:
Of course I have got confidence in Harriet Harman, I have said that, I have said that on all occasions when I have been asked this question. [party political content]. Of course I have got confidence in Harriet Harman and she has done as both Chairman of the party and Leader of the House of Commons a very good job indeed.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
As far as controls on political party donations, I think what people are worried about is the escalating costs of elections and therefore where there should be limits, local and national, on party spending, and whether as a result of that there should be limits nationally on individual donations that can be received. [party political content] But I think most reasonable people looking round the world at political party donations and how they are given, and the problems that it often creates, would prefer there to be a cap on the total amount of spending by political parties, and some people would then argue that one way to achieve that - as they have done in America - is of course to have an individual cap on donations. That is an unresolved issue in Britain because the parties have yet been unable to agree on that matter. And it would be preferable, where possible, to proceed by consensus.
Question:
Can I ask you about the government's strategy to improve relations with the British Muslim community. The radicalisation, especially of young Muslims, remains a problem and I know that some money has been pledged to a number of worthy community projects, but beyond that what is your overall strategy here?
Prime Minister:
The radicalisation of very young Muslims is a very serious problem, as was delineated by the head of MI5 when he made his speech only a few weeks ago and talked about the hundreds of young people that were falling prey to the influence of Al Qaeda and related groups. Now our strategy is twofold: to isolate and eliminate those people who are extremists by imprisoning them where possible, and of course many terrorists have been brought to trial as a result of the legislation that we have brought in. And our long term strategy is to divorce those young Muslims from this extremist influence which is causing so much damage both to our country and to the peace of the world. And that is why we promote interfaith action throughout the whole of the country, that is why in certain areas where there are strong Muslim communities, we want to work with the faith groups to achieve better harmony and better understanding. And that is why, to be honest, we are working with the Islamic groups so that we can have right across Europe a stronger understanding between the different faiths for the future. And I do believe that this interfaith understanding and working directly with groups and individual communities by supporting some of the activities that are building bridges between the different communities is a very important way forward. But we have to deal with extremist elements in our community, and that is why the sentencing and the powers that we have given the police are so important to do that.
Question:
Still concerning the EU-Africa Summit, President Mugabe has already confirmed he will be attending, so will the British government be well enough represented to defend your views and your commitments to Africa?
Prime Minister:
I will just confirm, although Heads of Government will be attending the EU-Africa Summit, I will not be attending this summit. It is not possible for Britain, given the circumstances of the last 10 years, and our attempts to be of assistance in Zimbabwe, which have been thwarted and resisted, it is not possible for us to attend this summit and to sit down with President Mugabe. I repeat however, if Zimbabwe were able to restore democracy, to have free and fair elections, we would be willing to support the reconstruction efforts of the Zimbabwean people because we both feel sad and believe something can be done about a situation where so many people unfairly have been forced into poverty and where the world is waiting to be able to act to relieve that suffering, but it is impossible to do so under conditions of oppression and repression that exist at the moment.
Question:
Are you starting to feel unlucky as a Prime Minister?
Prime Minister:
I feel that what I have got to do is deal with challenges as they arrive. I don't think you can look at some of the issues that I have had to deal with, from terrorism on the second day, to foot and mouth, or to Asian flu, or alternatively to a global financial set of events that started in America, and say that I, as Prime Minister, was directly responsible for these. But I think people will be able to look back and say that no matter what the controversies were at the time, we took the long term view, we made the difficult decisions, we resolved these issues and then we moved forward. And I am quite happy to be judged in the long term by our record of dealing with problems as they arise and challenges that we face. But of course we also want to set Britain on a path where it is the most successful economy in the future and where people feel genuinely, and young people particularly, that they have the best of opportunities in Britain, and that is my task also.
Question:
[party political content]
Prime Minister:
[party political content]
Question:
Have you asked for any advice from your predecessor as Prime Minister about how to handle the challenges of recent weeks, and if so what has he said?
Prime Minister:
I talked to Tony Blair on Sunday about issues relating to Annapolis, and I appreciate that the work that he is doing, both on Israel and the Palestinian areas, are now in the talks at Annapolis. And our talks were about how we could support the peace efforts by as a British government giving more support, where it became possible because security made it possible, to give funds to the Palestinian people so that we could make possible their economic development. And that is what we were talking about on Sunday.
Question:
A final question on Europe. Yesterday there were reports that the Foreign Minister had to water down a speech on European defence on your suggestion. What is your answer there? And the second one is on Afghanistan. How serious do you think the situation is getting there and are you satisfied, as you know, that there are always some rumours that there are tensions between countries around the frontline fighting against the Talibans and other countries such as Italy and Germany who have stricter rules of engagement?
Prime Minister:
Well as you know I am going to make a statement on Afghanistan fairly soon. Afghanistan is a difficult issues for all countries because we have got to prevent the return of the Taliban, but we have also got to make progress in the economic and social development of Afghanistan, we have got to help the millions of people who are returning to school, we have got to help build so that people have a stake in the future, we have got to deal with the continuing violence that unfortunately has caused far too many deaths on the part of our troops, and I pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice, and the troops of many other countries. So yes we will be making a statement on the next stage
As far as Europe is concerned, both David Miliband and I have made it clear that we are not in favour of some new European defence force, and I think that is what the issue that people were asking questions about was.
Question:
I spoke to a farmer yesterday who was in tears because his whole livelihood is at risk after the detection of Bovine TB on his farm in Devon. One question that was only on his mind is when is the government going to get its act together regarding its culling policy on badgers, and what chance is there of that please?
Prime Minister:
Well that is an issue that has got to be addressed from time to time. I may say I also talked to a farmer yesterday. The important thing is that given all the difficulties that the farming community has faced, and let us acknowledge that the combination of foot and mouth and blue tongue, and the other diseases that have hit the farming community, have been serious, particularly in the autumn for sheep farmers. We have tried to do our best by: first of all giving more support financially; secondly by reducing regulatory requirements on farmers; third, by making it possible for them to delay any tax payments that they have to make; and fourth, by running with the National Farmers Union an advertising campaign so that people will buy British lamb in particular. So while I acknowledge there have been problems that have been caused by diseases that have hit the country, and you have mentioned another one that is a problem, we have tried our best, working with the farming community, and I think they do acknowledge that over the summer months we have worked while together to try to deal with the problems, to make possible a more successful farming future for many people who have rightly been anxious as a result of the diseases of the last few months.
PMs in history
Sign up to our newsletter