» Tuesday, April 20, 2004

European Constitution

Questioned about the Prime Minister's Statement to the House of Commons today, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that he was not going to pre-empt it. However, it was important to be clear about the general approach of the Prime Minister and the Government to this matter. If there were to be an agreed Constitution, it would obviously have to respect our red lines. In doing so, neither the Prime Minister nor the Government had anything to fear in debating the reality of the Constitution rather than the myth. As the Prime Minister had said yesterday in the House, he looked forward to taking on that debate.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (5)

» Monday, April 19, 2004

European Constitution

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister would be making tomorrow's Statement to the Commons on the EU White Paper and the EU Constitution, not the Foreign Secretary as advised this morning. Asked to explain the change, the PMOS said that given the importance of the Statement and how it would be perceived, it was thought that the Prime Minister should make it. The Foreign Secretary would no doubt have lots of chances in future to debate this matter more fully. Asked if he was acknowledging that the Statement was going to be 'important', the PMOS said everyone knew that the European Constitution was an important issue. Asked if the referendum would be mentioned, the PMOS said that the Statement was about the EU Constitution and the EU White Paper. Asked if the change had anything to do with the Opposition's demand for a Private Notice Question today, the PMOS said that the importance of how the matter would be perceived in the House was clearly a reflection of how it would be perceived in the country as a whole. As the Prime Minister had told the House today, he was more than keen to debate the reality not the myth and to take on the arguments. As we had said after the European Council in Brussels last month, the sooner people were able to judge the reality of the Constitution for themselves - if one was agreed in June - the better.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Immigration Summit

Asked about the Prime Minister's immigration stocktake in Downing Street tomorrow afternoon, the PMOS said that it would be a continuation of the work programme which had been established at the first 'summit'. Those Departments which had been represented at the first meeting would also be represented at the second.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

PM Juncker

Asked if was correct to say that the British Government did not support the candidacy of Prime Minister Juncker of Luxembourg as President of the EU Commission, the PMOS said that we had not commented on any candidacies and he was not going to start doing so today.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

European Constitution

Asked if the Foreign Secretary would make an announcement about a referendum on the EU Constitution in his Statement to the House tomorrow, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that Mr Straw would provide an update on the EU Constitution. Questioned as to whether the Cabinet would need to discuss the proposal to hold a referendum before a final decision was made, the PMOS said that he had no intention of pre-empting what Mr Straw might say in his Statement tomorrow in the House, which was obviously the appropriate place for any comments to be made. That said, as we had made clear at the end of the last Brussels Summit in March, people could judge for themselves the reality of a new Constitution that was agreed - if it was agreed - in June. The sooner that reality was held up to the light of the scrutiny of Parliament, the better. In the Government's view, the Parliamentary process was the right place to go, and the sooner people could deal with the reality of the situation, rather than myths or scare stories, the better. Put to him that the Prime Minister had told journalists at the end of the Brussels Summit in March that there would not be a referendum, the PMOS repeated that he had no intention of pre-empting the Foreign Secretary's Statement tomorrow. However, he would draw journalists' attention to the Prime Minister's words on the Today Programme on Saturday when he had said that nothing had changed, but that if anything did, then the Government would obviously tell the people. Asked if anything had changed since Saturday, the PMOS said that the position remained as set out by the Prime Minister on the Today Programme. He had nothing further to add.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (7)

» Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Iraq

Asked what the Prime Minister's view was on calls by the opposition to send a senior figure out to Iraq following Jeremy Greenstock's departure, the Prime Minister's Spokesman said that David Richmond was already working closely with Ambassador Bremer in Baghdad. David Richmond was himself an Ambassador and was an expert in the region with a lot of experience. Asked if the Prime Minister would be taking a message to President Bush, about US military tactics, the PMS said that they would discuss the situation in Iraq as well as the Middle East Peace Process and various other issues. The PMS said that we were in agreement with the US about the overall strategy and approach to dealing with Iraq. There were no differences there and we were very aware that people have to make decisions on the ground to deal with specific situations as they arose. British commanders had to take decisions on the ground, as did the American military. In answer to further questioning the PMS said that it was too easy for people to sit in London and make judgements about what was happening without being there, but it was the people on the ground that actually had to make decisions based on the individual circumstances they faced. There were significant and serious security challenges facing the military on the ground in Iraq but it was the Government's view that it was only a few groups that were trying to prevent democracy being established and we didn't want them to succeed. No doubt these issues would be discussed in Washington but it would not be right to prejudge the outcome of the Prime Minister' meeting with the President.

Briefing took place at 16:15 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

» Monday, April 5, 2004

Update from DowningStreetSays: Easter Recess

There are no more daily briefings until 19th April.

Briefing took place at 14:50 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

PM Event

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman told journalists that the Prime Minister would join Sir John Stevens and Ken Livingstone this afternoon for the launch of the Metropolitan Police's Safer Neighbourhoods programme. The programme was about teams of police officers who would be dedicated full time to particular neighbourhoods. As such it represented a step change in the way London was policed, increasing police presence, local accountability and tackling local fear of crime. The Prime Minister would also use the event to highlight the introduction of new police powers contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to take fingerprint and DNA samples with or without consent of people arrested and detained by police regardless of whether or not they were subsequently prosecuted. He would also confirm in his remarks that he had asked the Home Office to examine whether local police should be able to drug to test for heroin and cocaine all those they arrested for offences which were seen as being driven by drugs misuse such as theft and burglary.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

Cross-Government Meeting on Immigration

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman reminded journalists that where the government recognised there was a problem, as with asylum, it would rationally address that problem and that was why the Prime Minister was chairing a cross-governmental meeting on immigration tomorrow. It would bring together in a stocktake the Prime Minister; the Home Secretary, David Blunkett; Ministers from Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Work and Pensions. The Attorney General would attend, to ensure that consideration was given to issues of law, as well as representatives from the security services that tackle organised crime. The PMOS said that tomorrow's aim was to identify the problems and the concerns, to define those concerns and produce a work programme that could be considered at future regular meetings, also to be chaired by the PM, but it was the Home Secretary who would drive forward that work programme between meetings. The PMOS said that the Prime Minister was determined not to let abuses of the system poison the whole idea of managed migration, which brought enormous benefits to the country. Immigrants to this country made up 8% of the population, but contributed 10% of the total wealth. They contributed £2.5bn more than they used in public services and that fact should not be lost sight of. They were doctors; nurses; au pairs; registered electricians and plumbers. The CBI, businesses and unions all recognised that in a country where there was virtually full employment but where there was still half a million job vacancies that the economy needed managed economic migration. In answer to questions about the origin of these figures the PMOS referred journalist to the Home Office. Asked when the meeting had been arranged the PMOS said that it was arranged at the back end of last week.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

ID Cards

Asked to clarify the situation with ID cards the PMOS said that the decision last November was that what should be worked on was resolving the logistical questions that remained, this was what Patricia Hewitt had been referring to yesterday and that was what the government was doing. As the Prime Minister had acknowledged last week there were still logistical questions to be resolved and those would be worked on, but at the same time the government would publish a draft bill, in this parliamentary session and parliament would be able to have it's say. In answer to further questions about a change of pace in response to the latest terrorist attacks and various timings the PMOS said it was best not to speculate on timings in these circumstances, the basic process had not changed so it was best to wait for the draft bill. The PMOS said that what the Prime Minister had recognised was that there was an issue here that was being addressed in the light of outrages such as Madrid and the threat posed to this country. That was why the issue had been placed on the agenda in November and why it was being addressed in the way it was now.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (20)

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