Question
The Prime Minister has made it clear that Labour councils should end their power-sharing agreements with local Green parties, following the disgracefully antisemitic motion passed by the national Green party that Zionism is racism. However, the Labour leader of Havant borough council has refused to condemn her Green party coalition partners for supporting that motion and has refused to withdraw from the coalition. Does the Minister agree that that is a breach of the Nolan principles, and will he clarify who is right: the Prime Minister, or the Labour leader of Havant borough council?
Answer
For the avoidance of doubt, I should point out that the Prime Minister is always right. I will take no lectures from Reform on standards and conduct in local government. We hear repeated complaints about the conduct of Reform-led councils across the country—about the way in which they treat their staff, the way in which they treat each other, and the way in which, quite often, the toxicity that we see online is brought into council chambers.75% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (8/100)
The reply does not answer the main question. It does not mention Havant, the Labour leader, the Green coalition, or the Nolan principles, and instead discusses the conduct of Reform-led councils. The only response to the point about Labour councils ending power-sharing with Greens is a jocular remark that the Prime Minister is always right, which gives no clarification of the policy or of the Havant position. The person who asked would almost certainly need to submit a follow-up question.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister agrees that the Labour leader of Havant Borough Council's refusal to condemn her Green party coalition partners for supporting the motion, and her refusal to withdraw from the coalition, is a breach of the Nolan principles. | Not Addressed | Generic MISREADS QUESTION | The reply never mentions Havant, the Labour leader, the Green coalition, or the Nolan principles; it pivots to the conduct of Reform-led councils, which is a different party and set of bodies from the item's subject. |
| Clarification of whether the Prime Minister's position, that Labour councils should end power-sharing agreements with local Green parties, or the position of the Labour leader of Havant Borough Council is correct. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The jocular line that 'the Prime Minister is always right' implies the Prime Minister's position is correct, but it is a flippant aside with no substantive clarification of the policy on Labour councils ending power-sharing with Greens or of the Havant position. |