Downing Street Says » Andy Burnham Comments

» Thursday, June 19, 2008

Andy Burnham Comments

Asked if the Prime Minister had a view on Andy Burnham’s comments about Shami Chakrabarti, the PMS said none that the Prime Minister had expressed. The Prime Minister was focussed today on European matters. Asked if she had seen the letter sent by Shami Chakrabarti, the PMS replied that she had not and was therefore not able to confirm that the Prime Minister had received the letter. The PMS added that correspondence of such nature would be treated confidentially anyway.

Asked whether it would be right for the taxpayer to fund the defence if Andy Burnham was sued for libel by Liberty, the PMS said that she would not be drawn into that level of speculation on this issue. Asked whether the Prime Minister thought Andy Burnham would use the same kind of language if the director of Liberty had been a man, the PMS repeated that she would not be drawn into commenting on the issue. As she had said, the Prime Minister had not commented on it to her knowledge and was fully focussed on issues in Europe today.

Asked whether the Prime Minister still had full confidence in Andy Burnham, the PMS said that he did. Asked whether Cabinet Minister’s should be allowed to joke in public, the PMS said that the context of the question would lead her to speculate on the issue, so she would be declining that kind offer.

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