Question
Today the Prime Minister has not come to the House to answer questions on his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Not answering questions is becoming a pattern. The Prime Minister broke with convention by not allowing journalists with him on the trip to ask questions on this matter. Is it because he is running scared and only likes to answer soft-soap questions on social media, or is it because he is partway through changing his mind on giving reparations to these countries, just like he changed his mind on Brexit and let down the country and his Makerfield constituents?
Answer
It is interesting that the right hon. Lady says there were no journalists there, because I am pretty sure the political editor of the BBC was there, along with a number of other journalists, but maybe she and I have different views on what we class as a journalist. I hasten to add that the last CHOGM statement was given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds), not the Foreign Secretary or the Prime Minister, and that in 2022, which is the last time the statement was made when the Conservative party was in government—I hope it is the last for some considerable time—it was delivered by a Member of the House of Lords. Frankly, we have seen more leadership from my Prime Minister than the several dozen we went through in the 14 years when the Conservatives wrecked this country and left us the mess we have inherited.56% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (10/100)
The reply does not answer most of what was asked. It does not explain why the Prime Minister has not come to the House, and instead discusses who delivered earlier CHOGM statements, which is a different point. It disputes the claim that journalists were excluded by noting that the BBC political editor and others were present, but gives no reason why they could not ask questions. It says nothing about reparations or any change in the Prime Minister's position on them, so the asker would likely need to submit a follow-up on all three points.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why has the Prime Minister not come to the House today to answer questions on his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting? | Not Addressed | Generic MISREADS QUESTION | The reply never explains why the Prime Minister has not come to the House; it shifts to who delivered previous CHOGM statements (Anneliese Dodds in 2022, a member of the Lords), which answers a different question about precedent. |
| Why did the Prime Minister break with convention by not allowing journalists travelling with him on the trip to ask questions on this matter? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply disputes the premise by saying the BBC political editor and other journalists were present, but it gives no reason why journalists were not allowed to ask questions, so the 'why' is left unanswered. |
| Is the Prime Minister reconsidering or changing his position on giving reparations to Commonwealth countries? | Not Addressed | Generic | None of the answer statements mention reparations or any change, or lack of change, in the Prime Minister's position on them. |