Question
Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist, yet her books are being withdrawn from shelves up and down the country. Under a new Prime Minister, will this Government reverse course, or does the Home Secretary see any author she disagrees with as a terrorist?50% point-scoring
Answer
The hon. Gentleman should be much more responsible about the way in which he makes his point in this Chamber. He will know that there is a world of difference between someone selling books and enjoying the fruits of their labour and saying that they will use that money to fund a proscribed organisation. The organisation was proscribed through a vote in this House; it is the subject of a legal case at the moment, but all of the appropriate legal safeguards and thresholds in law were followed.20% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply does not clearly answer either part of the question. On whether the Government will reverse the withdrawal of the books, it talks instead about the author's stated intention to fund a proscribed organisation, and it does not say whether the decision will be revisited. On whether the Home Secretary treats authors with disagreeable views as terrorists, it only implies a answer by distinguishing book-selling from funding a proscribed group, without stating a position. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for a direct answer on both points.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government reverse the decision to withdraw Sally Rooney's books from shelves? | Partially Addressed | Hedged MISREADS QUESTION | The reply never says whether the Government will reverse the withdrawal of the books; it reframes the issue as the author's stated intention to fund a proscribed organisation, and only implies by contrast that selling books is distinct. |
| Does the Home Secretary regard any author whose views she disagrees with as a terrorist? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply does not directly answer whether the Home Secretary treats authors with disagreeable views as terrorists; it only implies, by distinguishing book-selling from funding a proscribed group, that the author is not being labelled a terrorist for her views, and the opening statement is a rebuke rather than an answer. |