Question
It sounds like the Prime Minister does not know if he agrees with himself or not. He wants to remind me about my words. I stand by my words. Where we make mistakes, we own up to them. Labour pretends that it never does anything wrong. [ Interruption. ] Yes, yes, yes. Indeed, that is the difference between him and me. He wants to remind me about what I said; I think it is worth reminding him what he said just this May about the Brexit referendum: “It’s going to undermine everything I’ve said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.” But he does not respect that vote, does he?
Answer
I think I have answered that very clearly by saying that the red lines in the manifesto are firmly in place. The right hon. Lady stood there a moment ago and said that she admits mistakes. She was asked twice by BBC London during her conference whether Brexit, and the deal she negotiated with her colleagues, was good or bad for London, and twice she could not bring herself to answer that question. Perhaps, before she finishes today, she will answer it now.50% point-scoring
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. It says the manifesto red lines remain firmly in place, but it never explicitly confirms that the referendum result is respected and does not engage with the quoted remark. It then shifts to criticising the Conservative record. Because the answer is hedged and indirect, the person who asked would likely need to ask again for a clear position.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Prime Minister respect the result of the 2016 EU referendum, given his statement this May that "it's going to undermine everything I've said about strengthening democracy if we don't respect that vote"? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply implies respect for the vote by saying the manifesto red lines are firmly in place, but it never explicitly confirms that the referendum result is respected or engages with the May quote, and it then pivots to attacking the Conservative record. |