Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Northern Ireland, Police Racism, Tax, European Constitution and Guantanamo Bay.
Northern Ireland
Asked for an update on Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that contacts were ongoing with all the parties at a variety of levels, as well as with the Irish Government, as you would expect. We found ourselves in a slightly absurd position at the moment because we knew that yesterday’s act of decommissioning by the IRA was a significant one, but we had yet to be able to use a form of words to convey that sense to lay people. Essentially, that was the conundrum which we had to cut through. Asked why this had come as such a surprise to us when the Taoiseach had been warning about it for several days, the PMOS said that we had learned from experience that you could never go into these meetings 100% sure that you had a deal. A lot was always going to depend on what General de Chastelain was told by the IRA representative in terms of what he could and could not say - and that had only become clear yesterday. The important point was not finding out who had dug the hole or why it was there but trying to find a way out of it. Given how far yesterday had moved us forward, it would be rather absurd if this was the issue which became our breakpoint.
Asked for a reaction to Seamus Mallon’s comment in the House today that it had been ’shabby and foolish’ to give exclusive negotiating rights to the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein, the PMOS pointed out that the leader of the SDLP, Mark Durkan, had had a meeting with the Prime Minister in Downing Street two weeks ago. The Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, had spoken to Mr Durkan on Monday night and it was not impossible that the Prime Minister might be in contact with him today. The reason why Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists had been involved in the final negotiations to the apparent exclusion of other parties was because they had been the ones experiencing problems. A judgement had therefore been taken that this would be the best way to move forward. Despite the problems which had arisen yesterday, it was important not to underestimate the progress which had been made in terms of words - from Gerry Adams - and deeds - in terms of the act of decommissioning. Both would appear to validate the approach we had taken.
Asked to explain why General de Chastelain couldn’t have bent the rules slightly and described what he had seen in more explicit terms, the PMOS repeated that we were more interested in trying to find a way forward rather than re-interpreting the events of yesterday. The point was that we had a problem. We now had to try to find a way to resolve it by telling people, in language they understood, what had happened during the act of decommissioning, what sort of material had been put beyond use and why it was so significant. Asked if that meant that we would stop short of demanding that the IRA abandoned the confidentiality clause, the PMOS said that he did not think it would be helpful to delineate which option we might eventually pursue. Contacts were continuing. People should exercise a little patience and wait and see how the discussions progressed.
Asked why the Northern Ireland elections had been announced before the sequence of events had taken place, the PMOS pointed out that Sinn Fein had made it clear from the outset that they had to be sure that the elections, which had been postponed in the spring, would go ahead before the IRA would carry out its act of decommissioning. Asked if there as any significance in the fact that the elections would occur on the same say as the Queen’s Speech, the PMOS said absolutely not. It was sheer coincidence.
Police Racism
Asked if the Prime Minister had watched last night’s BBC documentary on police racism and what his view on it was, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had not seen the programme as he had been otherwise occupied in Northern Ireland. However, in general terms, Hazel Blears had made the Government’s position clear on the Today Programme this morning in underlining the fact that we took the issue of racism seriously wherever it was found, including in the police service. That was why new procedures for training had been introduced in May of this year, including Diversity Training. As Ms Blears had pointed out, seventy-nine recruits had been ejected from the training programme since then. It was also why police forces, themselves, had taken the action they had taken so promptly. There was a separate issue as to whether the BBC had been as open as it might have been to help us tackle the issue up to this point. However, that was a matter between the Home office and the BBC. Our topline message was that there was clearly no tolerance for racism in the police, as had been demonstrated in various ways today. Asked if the Prime Minister had been shocked, the PMOS said that Ms Blears had said this morning that the matter was very ‘disturbing’ - a sentiment with which we would concur.
Tax
Asked if the Prime Minister was able to rule out a rise in stamp duty as he had for capital gains tax during PMQs today, the PMOS said that the time we answered speculative questions about tax was at the time of the Budget.
European Constitution
Asked if the Prime Minister had made an agreement with other European leaders not to hold a referendum on the European constitution if they were not legally obliged to do so, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had set out his view very clearly as to why he did not think a referendum in the UK on the European Constitution was justifiable. Put to him that the Prime Minister of Malta had said that an agreement had been made, the PMOS said that the decision about not holding a referendum in the UK had been taken purely and simply in terms of this country.
Guantanamo Bay
Questioned as to whether the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay would face trial in the UK if they were brought back here, the PMOS said that to suggest such a thing was to jump two steps ahead of the current position. The Attorney General was in the middle of ongoing discussions with the US and it would be pointless to try to pre-judge their conclusions. As the Prime Minister had made clear in PMQs today, it was important for due process and justice to be seen to be done. Asked if the UK’s position on the detainees had changed in any way, the PMOS said no.
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