Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Berlin and Public Services.
Berlin
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) briefed journalists on the Prime Minister’s meeting tomorrow in Berlin with Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac. He said it was important to recognise that it was not a formal summit. It was a discussion which would allow for a free exchange of views. There would be no communiqué, although the three leaders were likely to hold a joint press conference afterwards. Obviously the issue of Iraq would be raised. However, the meeting was not intended to be a drafting session for a new UN Resolution. That work was going on at the UN General Assembly and, according to the US, was likely to continue through next week. That said, in the light of the Donors’ Conference in Madrid next month, no doubt the three leaders would discuss ways in which they could work together to deliver civilian and economic reconstruction in Iraq. We all shared the principles as outlined in UN Resolution 1483, which stated that we wanted to see an Iraq run by the Iraqi people for the Iraqi people as soon as possible in practical terms. The three leaders would also discuss the Middle East given recent events there, as well as Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai was due to visit the UK at the end of this month. Other issues to be discussed would include European defence and economic matters. The PMOS added that the Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister Aznar of Spain on Sunday at Chequers would go over much the same territory.
Asked what sort of issues would be raised during the three leaders’ talks on European defence on Saturday, the PMOS said he did not think it would be helpful to pre-empt the discussion. That said, the Prime Minister believed that there was a case for increased European co-operation which complemented the existing NATO structure, allowing Europe to deal with crises whenever it was appropriate to do so. A good example of this was what was happening in Macedonia at the moment.
Public Services
In answer to questions about the result of the Brent East by-election, the PMOS said that, as a Civil Servant, he was unable to discuss political matters and would refer journalists to the Labour Party for a comment. Asked if the Prime Minister believed that there were lessons to be drawn about the Government and its policies, the PMOS repeated that he was unable to comment on the by-election. However, in terms of Government policies in general, the Prime Minister had underlined in his speech in Bexley yesterday his determination to ensure that the reform and investment programme in our public services would continue and his belief that it was beginning to deliver real change at street level. He had also recognised, however, that the programme needed to be driven through and that we were not at the end of the process by any means.
Asked if the Prime Minister agreed with Ian McCartney’s view that there had been a failure to communicate the value of the reforms to people, the PMOS pointed out that in any programme of change, it always took time for people to see the results at street level. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister believed that people were already beginning to see changes in our public services, such as the NHS and education. That said, people, rightly, wanted to know that that change would be sustained and would result in better, modernised public services - hence the Government’s investment and reform programme.
Asked if the Prime Minister would accept that voters were unhappy with the Government’s record on council tax, the PMOS said the Prime Minister believed that voters recognised the fact that this year the Government had put in place - for the first time ever - above inflation increases for all councils . He acknowledged that there were some concerns. However, he hoped that people would recognise the commitment of central Government in addressing them.
Put to him that the Prime Minister was in danger of ‘acting like an Englishman abroad’ in his message on public services inasmuch as it seemed he was simply determined to shout louder if his investment and reform programme was perceived not to be working, the PMOS said that he would disagree. Showing people in detail what changes had been made, such as the case of Bexley where over half the pupils were in specialist schools, was not a matter of shouting louder but merely asking people to look behind the caricature to see the reality taking place on the ground. As people fixed upon the reality in their locality, they would recognise that real change was happening. Put to him that some would suggest that this was an arrogant approach for the Prime Minister to take, the PMOS said he would disagree. The Prime Minister had made it clear that we needed to listen to people’s concerns and explain why we were doing what we were doing.
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