Downing Street Says » Obama article

» Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Obama article

Asked whether the Prime Minister had spoken to John McCain at all, the PMS said that on this general matter we had been making absolutely clear that the Prime Minister was not in any way endorsing any individual candidate. The PMS added that he would not be commenting on any private conversations or discussions.

Asked whether the Prime Minister saw the article before it was made public, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister took responsibility for everything that went out in his name. Asked if the Prime Minister had written the article, the PMS said that he would not get into internal Downing Street processes but the Prime Minister took responsibility for everything that went out under his name.

Put that by backing the Democrats how could it be said that the Prime Minister was not backing one side, the PMS said that first of all, this was a party political article written for a parliamentary publication ahead of the Labour Party conference and it was in that context that he was mentioning the action being taken by centre-left governments around the world. The Prime Minister was not and would not endorse any individual candidate.

Asked whether the Prime Minister thought that in reflection it was something that he shouldn t have said, the PMS reiterated that the Prime Minister took responsibility fro anything that went out in his name. Asked whether the Prime Minister had used the phrase New Labour in the article or indeed ever, the PMS said that he had used the phrase in the article and he would be very surprised if he had not used the phrase before.

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