Downing Street Says » European Constitution/Referendum

Asked if the Education Secretary supported the Prime Minister’s decision to hold a referendum on the European Constitution, the PMS said that the referendum issue had been raised briefly at Cabinet yesterday morning. There had been no dissenting voices at that meeting. She added that although she had seen the reports in the press today, she was not aware of the exact circumstances in which the Education Secretary was reported to have made his comments, or when or where he had been contacted by his local paper. Asked if Mr Clarke had been consulted in advance of the announcement being made this week, the PMS repeated that there had been no dissenting voices at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. Put to her that that would imply that there couldn’t have been much of a discussion about the issue yesterday, the PMS repeated that there had been a brief discussion during which there had been no dissenting voices. Asked how ‘brief’ was ‘brief’, the PMS said that she had not attended Cabinet yesterday and was therefore unable to answer the question. Asked if yesterday’s meeting had been the first time that Cabinet had discussed the issue of the referendum, the PMS reminded journalists that Patricia Hewitt had dealt with this point in an interview earlier in the week when she had confirmed that Cabinet had discussed the issue in the past. Put to her that Ms Hewitt had been consulted about the decision to hold a referendum, so her position was different to that of the Education Secretary, the PMS repeated that there had been no dissenting voices at Cabinet yesterday when the issue had been raised.

Asked if the Prime Minister had instructed Cabinet to go out and actively support the new policy on the referendum, the PMS said that as the Prime Minister had underlined many times this week, the Government intended to win the referendum, and they would therefore be doing all they could to achieve that aim.

Asked if the Prime Minister regarded the referendum as a matter for collective Cabinet responsibility or a matter for individual conscience, the PMS said it was a matter for collective Cabinet responsibility. The Government had announced that a referendum on the European Constitution would be held, which the Government intended to win. There had been no dissenting voices at Cabinet yesterday when the issue had been discussed. Ministers would be supporting the Government’s campaign for a yes vote.

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» Friday, April 23, 2004

European Constitution/Referendum

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