Question
I cannot believe that the Prime Minister actually said at that Dispatch Box that he wants to reopen the Brexit debate. He is in a different place from where he was in Question 1. Let me tell the Prime Minister: the country does not want to rerun this debate; neither, as it happens, do his Back Benchers. This country voted to leave the EU, and we should respect that decision. The Conservative party always has done. Our economy is facing serious challenges. The Prime Minister needs to get borrowing down, because of their stupid decisions. [ Interruption. ] One of them asks, “Why?” It is because of their stupid decisions. They need to get borrowing down. He needs to get welfare down. He needs to get people’s taxes down. All of this can be done without reopening a debate on the EU, so instead of leaving it to his team again, I will give him one last chance to clear up the mess he has made: will he rule out, after his extraordinary comments, any referendum on the EU or the single market?
Answer
I have repeatedly set out the red lines of the manifesto, and can I just say this one final time? I am doing what I can to get a better deal for Britain, and getting a better deal for Britain, I can tell the right hon. Lady, is part of this job. I am standing up for British business. Can I tell her who supports what we are doing? The CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses, the British Retail Consortium, Asda, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Salmon Scotland—they all support what we are trying to do. Why does she not join us, with other colleagues across this House, and send a strong message that Britain is calling for a better Brexit deal, so that we can get growth going again, as my right hon. Friend will shortly show to this whole House?50% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply responds to the first part of the question by restating the Prime Minister's commitment to get a better deal for Britain and citing business groups and retailers that support the approach. It does not engage with the concern that this reopens the Brexit debate, and the statements are largely general. The second part, whether a referendum on any EU or single-market arrangement will be ruled out, is not answered: the reply mentions the manifesto red lines but never addresses referendums. The asker would likely need to ask again for a clear position on that point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disputes the Prime Minister's claim that he will "do everything I can to get a better deal for Britain" and stand by that position, arguing that this amounts to reopening the Brexit debate. | Addressed | Direct | The item disputes the claim that the PM will 'do everything I can to get a better deal for Britain', and the reply re-affirms that same claim ('I am doing what I can to get a better deal for Britain'), then backs it with named supporters (CBI, FSB, BRC, Asda, Morrisons, M&S, Salmon Scotland). The reply does not engage with the item's argument that this reopens the Brexit debate, and the core statements are largely rhetorical, so confidence is moderate. |
| Will the Prime Minister rule out any referendum on the EU or the single market? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks directly whether the PM will rule out any EU or single-market referendum, and no statement mentions a referendum or commits to ruling one out; 'I have repeatedly set out the red lines of the manifesto' (seq 1) is only a tangential reference to the manifesto and does not answer the question. |