Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Operation Crevice Court Case, Electoral Reform and Prime Minister
Operation Crevice Court Case
Asked what the response from Downing Street was following the claims by the BBC that the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) had not been given all the photographic evidence when they should have been, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said firstly the version of events put forward is not one that is universally accepted. Secondly the PMOS could not speak for the ISC because it was an independent committee. Thirdly it was precisely to go over all the evidence that the Prime Minister asked Paul Murphy and the ISC to review the material. Therefore this was precisely the sort of issue that the ISC would now be able to consider in the round having the full transcript of the court and being able to ask whatever questions it wanted.
Put to the PMOS that yesterday he had said that the ISC had been fully aware of all the relevant material all the way along, was the PMOS now saying the ISC were not fully aware of all the relevant material or was it that they had all the material but they were not aware of all the connections between them, the PMOS said he did not want to get into the detail as it was a matter for the ISC, but the PMOS stood by what he had said yesterday. The PMOS added that what people asked for yesterday was an independent inquiry which would make its results public, that is precisely what the ISC was and would do and has done. The ISC had been kept fully informed of all developments. Now there was the opportunity to go over all the material again and they will do so. Asked if the ISC would go over the photographs again, the PMOS said whatever the ISC wanted to it would see.
Asked though the committee was independent did the PMOS have any idea when it would report, the PMOS said no, it was a matter entirely for the ISC. Put to the PMOS that the reporter knew that the PMOS would say that, the PMOS responded by saying that in No.10 we were consistent and we try and be consistent.
Asked when the PMOS had said that the ISC was aware of all the relevant material was that information passed to No.10 from MI5 or the security services, the PMOS said again he could not get into the detail of it but based on the information we had we believed that the material was all there. Again, this was all a matter that the ISC itself, an independent committee, with cross-party representation from all sides, and it could go through all the relevant material and it would do so. Put to the PMOS that the claim in the Times this morning that the ISC was wrongly told that the West Yorkshire force had been made aware of Mohamed Saddiqui Khan and that has been contradicted subsequently, there was a claim that the ISC had been misled, the PMOS said again we stand by what we said, the PMOS did not want to get into he detail because this was now a matter that the ISC was actively going to look at and it was best that we let them get on with the job. People could not ask on the one hand for an independent inquiry and then on the other hand expect No.10 to be constantly interfering. That was not our role. Our role is to make sure that they can have the ability to get whatever they need to conduct an independent review of the material.
Put to the PMOS that the Conservatives had been hinting of a cover up and would No.10 categorically rule that out, the PMOS said he did not want to become involved in Party matters, but that if people make allegations of that kind they need to provide the evidence to back the claims up.
Electoral Reform
Asked if the Prime Minister was confident that the measures the Government was taking in attempting to tackle electoral corruption and fraud, the PMOS said in terms of that you do have to look back at what has been done in the past. New measures were introduced in time for the May 2006 elections that worked well in deterring fraud and we are confident that further measures in the Electoral Administration Act of 2006 will ensure that the 2007 elections are even more secure. This was a matter that under constant review.
Asked if the Government was at all concerned over the possible issues with recent electronic voting, the PMOS said what the Government was anxious to do is keep up to date with all the possible mechanisms to encourage people to vote. At the same time we try and ensure the safeguards are there to ensure that the system is secure and that is why we work very closely with the Electoral Commission and others, but those safeguards are there and this is a matter that is kept under constantly under review.
Prime Minister
Asked if it was correct that the Prime Minister would first inform HM the Queen, the PMOS said he was glad the reporter had asked the question. The distinction to bear in mind was that the Prime Minister was not announcing his resignation as Prime Minister next week. That is not what he would be doing. What the Prime Minister would be doing would be setting out his intentions but he would not be resigning as Prime Minister next week. Asked if he was resigning as leader of the Labour Party, the PMOS said it was a Party, not Government matter and the question the PMOS had been asked was about the Prime Minister’s role as Head of Government. After the Prime Minister has announced his intention he will remain Prime Minister. Asked if the Prime Minister would not go and see the HM the Queen next week but after the leadership contest has been concluded, the PMOS said at last the penny had dropped. Asked if the Prime Minister would have an Audience as normal next week, the PMOS said again there are normal Audiences but that was not affected by next week’s announcement. Asked would it not be odd of the Prime Minister not to mention at the Audience that he was leaving, the PMOS said that as the lobby knew the PMOS did not brief in any way on the conversations the Prime Minister has with HM the Queen. Asked what the opposite of kissing hands was, was it goodbye hugs, the PMOS said that there was a real danger of everyone getting ahead of him or herself.
Asked what day the Prime Minister was making his announcement, the PMOS sighed and said that on Tuesday the Prime Minister would be in Northern Ireland. Asked if there would be a courtesy announcement to Cabinet prior to the actual announcement, the PMOS said he gave the reporter marks for trying to get a date little else.
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