Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Prime Minister’s Holiday, Sir Ian Blair/London Terror and Zimbabwe Cricket
Prime Minister’s Holiday
Asked about the Prime Minister’s whereabouts, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) said that the Prime Minister’s Director of Communications had written to editors last night to explain that since the Prime Minister arrived at his holiday destination, the Barbados Legion had invited him to attend a commemoration service to mark the end of the Second World War and the contribution of Barbadians to the Second World War. The Prime Minister had accepted the invitation and as it was obviously a public event, we understood that journalists would want to report the event. The Director of Communications had continued his request to ask for restraint in publicising the exact location of the Prime Minister’s holiday.
Asked if there had been any response to the criticism over what had been seen as unnecessarily tight security being used as an excuse, the PMS said that a request had been made following a conversation with the Head of the Prime Minister’s Protection team.
Asked when the Prime Minister would return from his holiday, the PMS said we would let people know when he was back.
Asked why the Prime Minister had been invited to a public event if the location where he was staying was meant to be kept a secret, the PMS said that Barbados was a small place and people got to know who was around.
Asked if people therefore knew the Prime Minister was in Barbados, why could it not be reported, the PMS said again that a request had been made for people to refrain from reporting the location.
Put to the PMS that the Prime Minister had already been criticised for not attending the VJ Day Celebration yesterday, was his attendance at the Barbados Legion Celebration likely to upset our VJ veterans, the PMS said she would hope not. The Prime Minister had attended the national commemorations of both VE and VJ Day in July where there was a service to commemorate the end of the Second World War which had also been attended by The Queen. The Prime Minister was invited to yesterday’s event by local people, and as he was on the island, was able to attend.
Put to the PMS that the Prime Minister did not appear to be "terribly enthralled or interested" in the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the PMS said she did not agree. The Prime Minister had attended the national service in July.
Asked if she could give any further details about the Prime Minister’s holiday, the PMS said she could not.
Asked why the Prime never stayed in the UK for his holiday, the PMS replied that in previous years, the Prime Minister had visited Cumbria, and Cornwall.
Asked where the Prime Minister was staying, the PMS said she did not have details and that we were asking people not to report the specific location.
Asked what the payment arrangements were, the PMS said the Prime Minister and his family had travelled on a scheduled flights and that they had paid for the tickets.
Put to the PMS that since the Prime Minister was staying in Barbados for a while longer, and it was public knowledge that he was there, was he now more at risk; had his security risk changed, and would reporters from now on be able to report about future holidays, the PMS said we never commented on the Prime Minister’s security. The PMS said she was unable to comment on future holidays.
Asked if the Prime Minister still intended to visit The Queen in Balmoral, the PMS said yes, it was traditional that the Prime Minister spent a weekend at Balmoral.
Sir Ian Blair/London Terror
Asked if the Prime Minister had been kept "up to speed" on the de Menezes case whilst he was abroad, the PMS said the Prime Minister had been kept regularly informed.
Asked what the Prime Minister’s thoughts were about the case, the PMS said it was not appropriate to comment on the case. The IPPC were conducting an independent investigation, and the Prime Minister wanted that investigation to continue and be completed.
Asked if the Prime Minister still had full confidence in Sir Ian Blair in relation to the case, the PMS said the Prime Minister had full confidence in the Commissioner in all areas.
Asked how we would react to the criticism that it was not the Prime Minister who was most at risk, but it was much more likely to be ordinary citizens who would be the target of a terror attack, and the Prime Minister should not be as sensitive about his own security, the PMS replied that we did not discuss the Prime Minister’s security. The Prime Minister was well aware that thousands of people used public transport in London every day and that there was a lot of work going on to protect people as they went about their business.
Asked how the Prime Minister could have full confidence in the Commissioner when it was being alleged that Sir Ian Blair did not know for twenty four hours that the wrong man had been shot, the PMS said that operational issues were a matter for the Metropolitan Police, but the Prime Minister had full confidence in the Commissioner.
Asked if the fresh statement of confidence yesterday had come about because we had been in touch with the Prime Minister, or whether this had been a stock response, the PMS said we had been asked if the Prime Minister had full confidence in the Commissioner and we had said "yes". The PMS said the Prime Minister had been regularly updated in events whilst he had been away.
Asked again why the Prime Minister still had confidence and were they considered "lukewarm", the PMS said she did not know where the journalist had got that idea from. The Prime Minister recognised that the Metropolitan Police, led by Sir Ian Blair did a very difficult job in difficult circumstances, and that they did that job very well.
Zimbabwe Cricket
Asked why the Government was only writing now to the ICC regarding future cricket matches in Zimbabwe, and had there been any response, the PMS said she was not aware of any response. A letter had been sent saying that Ministers considered the situation in Zimbabwe to be getting worse since the policy of demolishing people’s homes had begun. The Ministers had decided to ask the ICC, as the appropriate body, to look at their planned policy of sending international cricket teams to that country. They were therefore asking the ICC if that was appropriate. We had made it clear last year that we would have preferred such fixtures as the England Tour not to have taken place, but it was not something the Government could stop from happening.
Asked how it could be stopped, the PMS replied that we were asking the ICC to reconsider their plans to organise international cricket tours to Zimbabwe.
Asked why the cricket team could not just be paid not to go to Zimbabwe, the PMS said some people might feel it was an inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money.
Asked if either the Australian or New Zealand Governments had asked the UK Government to intervene, the PMS said she was not aware that they had, but she thought those governments had made similar requests to the ICC.
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