Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Meetings, Rail, Party Funding and Lords Reform.
Meetings
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister had had a meeting with Prime Minister Thaksin of Thailand today. It was the first time the two had met. They had discussed a range of bilateral issues, in particular trade and investment, since the UK was the third largest investor in Thailand.
The PMOS said that the Prime Minister had dropped into a meeting taking place at Downing Street between Clare Short, Adam Ingram and Prime Minister Deuba of Nepal. They had welcomed the excellent security relationship between their two countries and had agreed on the urgent need to tackle Maoist insurgency in Nepal.
Asked whether we had given them military assistance, the PMOS said no. The meeting today had looked ahead to an international conference which the UK would be hosting in June which would consider different ways in which the international community could help the Nepalese Government. Asked whether the Gurkhas would have been discussed today, the PMOS said no doubt, given the very important contribution they made to our forces.
Rail
The PMOS said that the Prime Minister had been on the frontbench this afternoon for Stephen Byers’ Statement on the Potters Bar derailment. The Prime Minister had spoken to Mr Byers on Friday, Saturday and obviously again today. He had also spoken to Richard Bowker, the head of the SRA, over the weekend. The Prime Minister had been impressed by the way the industry had reacted to what was clearly a very difficult situation. It had been measured, focussed and they had shown real leadership from the top.
Party Funding
Asked if the Prime Minister believed that politicians should make moral judgements about donations, the PMOS said that it was not for him to get into a detailed discussion about party funding matters and whom parties should or should not accept money from. He would have thought that donations were looked at on a case by case basis, regardless of the party. The fact that money had been accepted in this instance would seem to answer the question in this case.
Asked where the Prime Minister drew the line, the PMOS pointed out that there were legal parameters in terms of overseas donations, for example. However, if he was being asked about the Labour Party’s boundaries specifically, he would refer journalists to the Party itself as it was not a matter for him.
Lords Reform
Asked whether we regarded the Statement on Lords reform as important or if he thought they simply kicked the issue into the long grass again, the PMOS said that the Leader of the House would set out the position to the Commons very shortly. As he understood it, the Lord Chancellor had already made a Statement about the issue to the House of Lords. The announcement today was a signal of the seriousness of the Government’s intent to get this right.
Put to him that the Lord Chancellor had appeared to indicate that the Government had no view on reform because we were setting up a Joint Committee to consider the issue, the PMOS said that in light of the fact that there was such a divergence of views both within and between parties, we believed that we were taking the right approach. This was about putting in place reforms which would have to stand the test of time. If it took a little longer to work through the issues, so be it.
Questioned further, the PMOS repeated that today’s Statements were an indication that the Government had reflected on the responses to the White Paper on Lords reform, the fact that there was no consensus on how to move forward and the fact that in those circumstances, a Joint Committee to look at the issues seemed to be most appropriate. Given we were talking about far-reaching constitutional change inasmuch as we were looking at a new House to exist far ahead into the future, it was important not to rush things. We were determined to get it right.
Put to him that the Joint Committee had only been set up because the Government wanted to avoid a Cabinet split, the PMOS pointed out that we were offering a free vote on the issue. Consequently, it would be up to individuals to make their own judgements.
delicious
digg
facebook
