Question
Does the Foreign Secretary accept that it would be a disservice to the democratic process to identify attempts to interfere with it with invalidation of the result? Does he, like the Prime Minister, now accept that whatever Russia tried to do, it did not have any decisive effect on the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union?
Answer
I and the Prime Minister have always accepted the result of the Brexit referendum, and it is important to say that. I do think it is important, though, that whatever side we were on in that debate or in other debates across this House, we all recognise that Russia is seeking to interfere all the time and to disrupt and destabilise our democracy. I know the right hon. Gentleman has a proud record on these issues.33% vibes
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. It says the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have always accepted the referendum result, which is close to the point raised, but it does not address whether linking identified interference to invalidation would undermine democracy. It also does not answer whether Russian interference had a decisive effect on the outcome, offering only a general statement that Russia seeks to interfere in UK democracy. The asker would likely need to follow up for a specific, committed answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Foreign Secretary accept that it would be a disservice to the democratic process to link identified attempts to interfere with it to invalidation of the result? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have always accepted the referendum result, which is close to the item's underlying point. However, it never addresses the specific claim that linking identified interference to invalidation would disserve democracy, so the answer is only adjacent. |
| Does the Foreign Secretary accept, as the Prime Minister has, that whatever Russia attempted, it did not have a decisive effect on the outcome of the EU referendum? | Not Addressed | Generic | The item asks whether the Foreign Secretary accepts that Russian interference had no decisive effect on the referendum outcome. The reply only says Russia is constantly trying to interfere and destabilise UK democracy, and never addresses whether the interference was decisive. |