Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: PM/Chancellor, Michael Howard and Foundation Hospitals.
PM/Chancellor
Asked where the Prime Minister’s dinner with the Chancellor this evening was taking place, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) reminded journalists that as he had said this morning, he did not brief on venues or menus. This dinner should not come as a surprise to anyone. It had been arranged two to three weeks ago and was one of a series of dinners which the Prime Minister and the Chancellor regularly had together. The Prime Minister also often had dinner with Cabinet colleagues - about once a week, on average, when Parliament was sitting. Asked if the Prime Minister usually went out to eat, the PMOS repeated that we never briefed on venues. Questioned as to whether babysitters had been arranged for tonight, the PMOS said that his answer had not changed from ten seconds ago. Asked by the Guardian if a food-taster had been employed, the PMOS said he thought the line of questioning was a strong indication that the so-called story was running out of steam. Asked if it was fair to assume that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor would be dining in Downing Street because they both lived next door to each other there, the PMOS said that journalists could assume whatever they wished. He had no intention of playing their games.
In answer to further questions about the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, the PMOS said that their relationship remained strong. They were in regular contact - and had even spoken often during the Chancellor’s paternity leave. Asked if they would be issuing a communiqué after their dinner tonight, the PMOS said he didn’t think so as the meal was a routine occasion.
Asked to remind journalists of the last time the Chancellor had disagreed publicly with the Prime Minister, the PMOS said that he did not agree with the premise of the question. As he had underlined several times this morning, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor continued to have a strong working relationship, as the regular communication between the two demonstrated. Questioned by the Evening Standard as to whether he would consider the correspondent to be ‘over-sensitive’ to suggest that there was a difference in saying that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor had a ’strong’ rather than ‘good’ relationship, the PMOS said yes.
Asked to clarify Peter Mandelson’s job description, the PMOS said that he was a backbencher. Questioned as to when Mr Mandelson had last visited Downing Street, the PMOS said that it wasn’t our policy to brief on every single visitor to No 10 and when they might have been. Asked by the Guardian if Mr Mandelson was the food-taster this evening, the Chairman of the Lobby intervened by asking journalists if there were any serious questions to be posed. Put to the Lobby Chairman by the Guardian that the questions were only as serious as the answers, the PMOS said "touché".
Michael Howard
Asked if the Prime Minister had a message for the new Opposition Leader today, the PMOS said that as a Civil Servant, he was unable to comment on party political matters. Asked if the Prime Minister had phoned the Opposition Leader, the PMOS said not as far as he was aware.
Foundation Hospitals
Asked to set out the Government’s plan of action given the defeat in the Lords on Foundation Hospitals today, the PMOS said that the plan was to reverse the defeat by putting the relevant clauses back in when the Bill returned to the Commons.
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