Question
I am grateful to the Prime Minister for that reply. I hope the invitation will extend to the Conservatives, who want to join in real cross-party talks to solve this long-standing issue. Turning to the economy, the Prime Minister is right to say that Britain’s best future lies back at the heart of Europe. He is also right to say that we need to build consensus within the British public to make that happen. But instead of making everyone wait for Labour’s next manifesto, will the Prime Minister start now to show the economic benefits of a closer trading relationship with Europe by joining a customs union, joining the single market, boosting growth and using the dividends of that growth to help with the cost of living by cutting people’s taxes?
Answer
As I have said today, we will not be doing those things in this Parliament, but let me come back to what I was saying to the right hon. Lady the Leader of the Opposition. We will take pragmatic steps where we can to support British business by improving the Brexit arrangements that we have got. I think it is extraordinary that the Conservative party, the Opposition, are unable to back us in getting in place those better arrangements that would make a real difference for people in their constituencies trying to export to the European Union. People will have heard that very clearly today. The Conservatives claim to be the party of business. They have turned their back on them today. This party never will.56% point-scoring
Verdict: AMBER (35/100)
The reply clearly and directly rules out joining the customs union and the single market in this Parliament, and it offers a general alternative of improving existing Brexit arrangements. It does not respond to the invitation to hold cross-party social care talks with the Conservatives, and its only refusal-style line appears to relate to the Brexit points instead. It also does not address the question about using growth to cut taxes or help with the cost of living. A questioner would have a committed answer on two of the four points but would likely need to ask again about social care and taxes.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Prime Minister extend the invitation to cross-party social care talks to the Conservatives? | Not Addressed | Generic MISREADS QUESTION | The item asks about extending cross-party social care talks to the Conservatives, but the only refusal-style statement ('we will not be doing those things in this Parliament') appears to refer to the customs union and single market points from the Brexit exchange, so the reply does not engage with the social care invitation. |
| Will the Government join a customs union with the European Union now? | Addressed | Direct | The statement 'we will not be doing those things in this Parliament' is a clear, time-bound refusal to join the customs union, and the reply offers an alternative in pragmatically improving existing Brexit arrangements, which together answer the item directly. |
| Will the Government join the single market now? | Addressed | Direct | The same unambiguous refusal ('we will not be doing those things in this Parliament') covers joining the single market, with the pragmatic improvement of existing arrangements offered as the alternative. |
| Will the Government use the economic growth from a closer trading relationship with Europe to cut people's taxes and help with the cost of living? | Not Addressed | Generic | No statement mentions using growth to cut taxes or help with the cost of living; the closest statements concern improving export arrangements and point-scoring against the Opposition, which do not address the item. |