Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Flags, Knife Culture, and Water bowser/Gardening
Flags
Asked by the Scotsman what would the Prime Minister say to people in Scotland, (i.e. the Scotsman News Desk), who worried that by displaying the Cross of St. George above Downing Street, he was sending a signal that said that one of the constituent nations in the UK was more highly viewed than the others, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that there was only one nation in the countries that made up the UK that was taking part in this year’s World Cup, and therefore it was right to recognise the significance of that occasion. We obviously wished that there were more countries taking part in the World Cup. Unfortunately Northern Ireland, despite beating England, did not make it the World Cup, and unfortunately Scotland and Wales were in the same position.
Asked when was the last time that the Saltire flag was flown at No10, and were there any plans to do so, the PMOS said that hopefully, when it came to the next World Cup, that was the dilemma that someone would face.
Asked if the PMOS was suggesting that Gordon Brown would definitely be at No10 in four years time, the PMOS said no. What he was saying was that hopefully, it was a dilemma that whoever was in Downing Street at the period would have to face then.
Asked if we would fly the flag at half mast if it "went pear shaped", the PMOS said that we would mourn as a nation.
Asked if the Prime Minister would be wearing a St. George’s tie, the PMOS said that as he had said this morning, the answer was the same. It was a "no" to ties, full stop.
Asked if the flag was already flying, the PMOS said that it would fly on match days.
Knife Culture
Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned about radio programmes that encouraged knife culture, the PMOS replied that it was something that we would seriously want to think about, but he was not going to give a knee jerk response.
Water bowser/Gardening
Asked by the Times if the bowser was being used in every garden in Downing Street, or only in one particular one, the PMOS replied that Downing Street only had one small garden at the front, and another larger garden at the back.
Asked again by the Times what was the Rose garden, as the bowser had been used on roses, the PMOS said that the bowser was not being used on shrubs with deep roots.
Asked why not, the PMOS replied that they could get water from the soil.
Asked if the douser was always used, or was it only during a period of drought, the PMOS said that it was only for the drought period. As the PMOS had said this morning, it was being used because using the douser targeted the water precisely onto the plant, so not a drop was wasted.
Put that surely if it just went on the ground, then all plants would receive water, the PMOS replied that if the water was put on the ground, it would evaporate, thus wasting a large percentage of the water which was why the douser was used.
Asked by Bloomberg if the PMOS had any tips for getting rid of nettles in his garden, the PMOS said that depending on the question asked, his reply could be to go and jump in them! However, people should take the sting out of this issue…
Asked if the PMOS had taken any advice from the "Gardener’s Question Time" Northern Irish gardener, the PMOS said he had not, but he was a very fine gardener, and the PMOS had always found his advice very useful.
Asked by the Express if the Prime Minister spent a lot of time in the garden, the PMOS replied that he generally did not have that much time to spend in the garden, but that he enjoyed it when he was there, and appreciated the efforts of the gardeners.
Asked if the Prime Minister ever "had a go at the watering", the PMOS said that he had never known him to do so.
Asked by the Times if the roses were in bloom at the moment, the PMOS replied that he had not recently inspected the roses.
Put that the Prime Minister "was known" to have had a kick around in the Downing Street lawns, and would he recommend that during a period of drought, the PMOS said that he had never seen the Prime Minister have a kick around in the Downing Street lawns, therefore, he could not comment on that.
Asked if there was a croquet lawn at Chequers, or should the reporter read Norma Major’s book, the PMOS agreed that he should.
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