Question
I have said many times that, yes, it was, and the Prime Minister is using those freedoms today. He is using those very freedoms, but he does not want to admit that. He is the Prime Minister, not me. He wants to ask me questions. I am very happy to swap places with him, if that is what he wants. I am not talking about something that he might have said 10 years ago, although I can read out those quotes if he wants. I am talking about something that he said just a few months ago. The Prime Minister was not here for the 2017 Parliament, but many of us were. We do not want to go through that again. The country was paralysed—it was miserable, regardless of which side of the debate you were on. [Interruption.] It was, because Labour Members would not respect the result, and they are doing it again. Does the Prime Minister really think the country wants to reopen that debate?
Answer
Yes, yes—now the right hon. Lady is speaking the truth. The country was paralysed by the Conservative party: low growth, insufficient control on migration. That is what this Government is dealing with, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will stand up and show that we have a plan to get that growth going across the country. Where I am focused is getting a better deal for Britain. That is my responsibility, and I will lead from this Dispatch Box over the next few weeks. I will do everything I can to get a better deal for Britain—a better deal for farmers and food producers, less red tape on our exporters, more support for our steel and our car industries, more control of migration. I will stand here and defend doing that, as well as being true to our manifesto. That is the difference between this side and that side of the House: we stand up for the British interest. Where is the Tory party of old that used to stand up for those things? The reason she could not answer in this House today on whether or not she was backing the position that I have set out is that she is too worried about the threat to her right to stand up for Britain. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”]42% point-scoring 17% vibes
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The question asked directly whether the Prime Minister thinks the country wants to reopen the Brexit debate. The reply does not give a yes or no: its 'Yes, yes' responds to an interruption, and the answer instead turns to the Prime Minister's focus on a better deal for Britain. Readers can infer that he is not seeking to reopen the debate, but the reply never says so, so the questioner would likely need to ask again for a clear answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Prime Minister think the country wants to reopen the debate on Brexit? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The item asks directly whether the Prime Minister thinks the country wants to reopen the Brexit debate, but the reply never gives a yes or no. The 'Yes, yes' in statement 1 responds to an interruption and does not answer the question, and the reply pivots to the PM's focus on 'a better deal for Britain' and his responsibility to lead, which only implies that he is not reopening the debate. |