Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: European Council/IGC, Euro Referendum, Judicial Appointments/Lord Hutton and Rugby Reception.
European Council/IGC
The PMOS informed journalists that the Prime Minister was due to arrive in Brussels this evening when he would have a meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy. We also expected the Prime Minister to have a breakfast meeting with Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac tomorrow morning. The first part of the European Council would be taken up with non-IGC business, such as economic matters and other foreign issues which were normally discussed at such Summits. IGC issues would be discussed late tomorrow and beyond.
Euro Referendum
Asked if the Prime Minister’s decision to rule out a joint election/Euro referendum remained in force, the PMOS said that the Draft Single European Currency (Referendum) Bill had been published yesterday. It gave us the maximum flexibility on this issue. As the Prime Minister had made clear in his press conference in July, nothing should be read into it about the timing of the referendum. Put to him repeatedly that the Prime Minister had not specifically ruled out the possibility of a joint election/Euro referendum, the PMOS repeated that the Bill provided us with the maximum flexibility. However, people should not assume there was a read-across from that to the timing of any referendum. Put to him by a journalist that he could recall the Prime Minister ruling this out on a flight, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister’s words clearly stood. He was afraid he did not have the text of them as he had just come from Cabinet. Later Downing Street reissued the Prime Minister’s comments from 28 May when he had said, "I have never had the idea of holding a referendum on the same day as the General Election". Nothing had changed.
Judicial Appointments/Lord Hutton
The PMOS drew journalists’ attention to a press notice which had been issued this morning on senior judicial appointments. Two Law Lords were retiring: Lord Hobhouse and Lord Hutton. He pointed out that the Hutton Inquiry had put out a statement of its own this morning saying, "It was announced today that Lord Hutton, who is conducting the Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly, will retire as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (Law Lord) on 11 January 2004.
"His retirement will have no effect on his work in writing his report. If it has not been completed by 11 January 2004 he will complete his work on the report after his retirement.
"Lord Hutton had informed the Senior Law Lord, Lord Bingham, of his intention to retire a number of months before he was appointed to conduct the Inquiry into Dr Kelly’s death."
The PMOS also took the opportunity to advise that the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) had announced the appointment of Sir Brian Kerr as Lord Chief Justice if Northern Ireland.
Rugby Reception
Asked for a reaction to Julie Kirkbride MP’s comments about the Rugby reception as reported in today’s Daily Mail, the PMOS said it went without saying that Mrs Blair would never be rude to any guests who attended an event at Downing Street. The reception on Monday night had been all about ensuring that the achievements of the England Rugby team were recognised. He thought it was more appropriate for the focus to remain on their achievement, rather than any comments that had been made subsequent to the reception. Put to him that it was an Opposition Frontbencher, no less, who appeared to believe that Mrs Blair had been rude to her on Monday night, the PMOS said that Ms Kirkbride was perfectly entitled to express her views in the way she had done. By the same token, he was perfectly entitled to respond to them in the way he had done.
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