Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: CSR, Butler Report, UK-Italian Summit, Chancellor Schroeder, EU Commissioner and PM/Chancellor.
CSR
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Chancellor had said today that his Spending Review Statement to Parliament would make clear the Government’s ruthless focus on priorities, with no relaxation of fiscal discipline. He had stressed that even with lower overall growth in public spending than in the 2002 Spending Review, the savings being made on debt interest, unemployment and through increased efficiency would release resources to invest in the future of the economy and vital public services, while continuing to meet the strict fiscal rules.
Butler Report
Asked about the handling arrangements for the Butler Report on Wednesday, the PMOS said that letters had been sent to the Opposition this morning inviting them in from 6am on Wednesday to look at the Report (the same arrangements as for the Hutton Inquiry). Lord Butler had told us that he was planning to provide the Government with the final version of his Report - in the form in which it would be published - on Tuesday. As with the Hutton Inquiry, it was anticipated that Lord Butler would hold a press conference. This would take place on Wednesday. With the Speaker’s permission, the Prime Minister would make a Statement a little later on in the day. This would give MPs time to read the Report themselves. Asked at what time the Prime Minister’s Statement would be, the PMOS said that the details were still being finalised. Ultimately, it would depend on the timing of Lord Butler’s press conference, which was a matter for Lord Butler himself.
Asked to explain what he meant by saying that Lord Butler would provide the Government with a ‘final version’ of his Report on Tuesday, the PMOS said that he was simply referring to the terms of reference which had been set out by the Foreign Secretary on 3 February which stated that, "The Committee will submit its final conclusions to my Right Honourable Friend, the Prime Minister, in a form for publication along with any classified recommendations and material". Asked if that meant that the Prime Minister had not yet seen the Report, the PMOS repeated that Lord Butler had said he was planning to provide the Government with the final version of his Report on Tuesday. Asked if individual Ministers had already seen those parts of the Report which were relevant to them, the PMOS said that he had no intention of providing a running commentary on the process.
Asked what measures the Government was taking to prevent any leaks, as happened with the Hutton Report, the PMOS said that the arrangements for the publication of the Report had already been put in place, with a very strong emphasis on keeping it secure.
UK-Italian Summit
Asked what would be discussed at the UK-Italian Summit on Tuesday, the PMOS said that this was an annual event. Last year’s Summit had taken place in Rome. No doubt the issue of Iraq would be discussed, in addition to the Middle East and European matters.
Chancellor Schroeder
Questioned about the Prime Minister’s meeting with Chancellor on Thursday, the PMOS said that the two leaders met up regularly for bilaterals, usually every six months or so. Asked if another tripartite meeting between the Prime Minister, Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac had been planned, the PMOS said it went without saying that the Prime Minister valued his meetings with Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac. However, he was unable to point to any specific arrangements at this stage.
EU Commissioner
Asked if a decision had been taken regarding the UK’s EU Commissioner, the PMOS said not as far as he was aware. Asked by CNN if a decision was awaiting a Cabinet reshuffle, the PMOS congratulated the journalist on the clever way in which he had asked a reshuffle question. However, his usual rules regarding this issue would apply.
PM/Chancellor
Asked if it was likely that the Chancellor would remain in his post for a further five years in the light of reports today that the Prime Minister had decided to serve a full third term if elected, the PMOS said that the simple message was as follows: stories would come and stories would go. The Prime Minister believed it was his role - and indeed the Government’s role - to get on with the job that the electorate expected them to do. There would always be difficult times in Government and there would always be difficult issues to be faced - whether it was Iraq, Europe or delivering on the domestic agenda. The last few weeks had shown that we were moving forward on Iraq. We were not claiming that the situation on the ground was perfect. However, it was clear that progress was being made. We had also moved forward on Europe. The Government was now involved in gradually publishing its improvement plans for our public services, which today’s CSR would make possible. That showed that the Government was getting on with the job of doing what it had been elected to do - and, in the Prime Minister’s view, that was what people should focus on. Stories would come and they would go. In the meantime, he was getting on with his job.
Asked to characterise the Prime Minister’s relationship with the Chancellor at the current time, the PMOS said that they had obviously worked very closely together on the CSR. They also worked very closely together on other matters, as you would expect, and would continue to do so. They were getting on with their jobs, as was the rest of the Government. Pressed for a description of their relationship, the PMOS referred journalists to the words of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor themselves on this matter. They were on the record for all to see. Asked if the Prime Minister was disappointed that aides and allies on both sides were continuing to show indiscipline by briefing against each other, the PMOS said that he had no intention of adding to any of these stories by passing comment on them. The must important thing was the fact that the Prime Minister and the rest of the Government were getting on with the job they had been elected to do.
Asked what the Prime Minister’s reaction had been to Charles Clarke and John Reid’s assurance that he was beloved by the Government and members of the Cabinet and should therefore stay on, the PMOS said that he had no intention of commenting on private conversations. He pointed out that those Ministers who had been named over the weekend had come out and explained the full context in which these matters had been discussed. That was the important point here. The Prime Minister and the Government were getting on with their jobs, which was precisely what they had been elected to do. Put to him that Cabinet Ministers would not have made a point of talking to the Prime Minister about this issue had they not feared that he was thinking of resigning, the PMOS said that Government was all about facing difficult issues such as Iraq, reaching agreement on Europe and drawing up improvement plans for our public services. That was precisely on what the Prime Minister and the Government had been focussing their attention. Put to him that the Prime Minister had been contemplating facing up to these issues was by walking away from them and that the electorate surely had a right to know what had occurred, the PMOS referred journalists to the comments made over the weekend by the Cabinet Ministers implicated in these stories. Their words spoke for themselves. Asked if he was indicating that the Prime Minister had never thought of resigning, the PMOS replied that he had said all he had to say about this issue. Some stories suggested one thing, other stories suggested another. The Prime Minister was getting on with his job. In the end that was what mattered.
Asked if the Prime Minister believed that Peter Mandelson had been right to suggest that the Chancellor could be his successor or whether Charles Clarke had been right to say that the Chancellor was not the right candidate for the post, the PMOS said that the question was based on one huge hypothetical. The important point was that the Prime Minister was getting on with his job. End of story. Asked if Charles Clarke had been authorised to assert yesterday that the Prime Minister would not be doing his job in twenty years’ time, the PMOS said he thought people should be focussing on what was happening twenty days hence, rather than twenty years. Responding to mock ‘oohs’ of amazement by journalists that he was perhaps signalling that something dramatic was about to happen, the PMOS laughed and told journalists to get on with their jobs, just as the Prime Minister was getting on with his.
delicious
digg
facebook
