Boris Johnson’s spokesperson refused to set the record straight after he made a false statement at PMQs - here’s what happened

By Ethan Shone
Published 11th Mar 2021, 11:11 BST
Updated 11th Mar 2021, 11:12 BST
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson refused to set the record straight after he made a false statement at PMQs - here’s what happened (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Boris Johnson’s spokesperson refused to set the record straight after he made a false statement at PMQs - here’s what happened (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson refused to set the record straight after he made a false statement at PMQs - here’s what happened (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Prime Minister has been criticised after his spokesperson refused to apologise or issue a clarification when Mr Johnson falsely claimed that opposition MPs had voted against a pay rise for NHS staff last year.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) yesterday, Mr Johnson incorrectly stated that the Labour Party had voted against a motion to give NHS staff a 2.1 per cent pay rise.

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During a press briefing after PMQs, the PM’s press secretary refused on 20 occasions to offer an apology or clarification from the Prime Minister, despite this being the convention when a mistake is made in the Commons.

What was the debate over?

The initial argument related to current government plans to offer NHS staff a one per cent pay rise, which Labour has described as being not enough.

While the Speaker of the House did agree to a clarification for the official record, it would be conventional for the person who made the mistake to issue a clarification of their own, or acknowledge their mistake.

When Labour leader Keir Starmer mistakenly claimed that he had never supported joining the European Medicines Agency in another PMQs spat last month, the Labour leader issued an apology and clarification later that day.

What was said?

HuffPost has published a transcript, included below, of the conversation between the chairman of the Westminster journalists’ press lobby, Macer Hall, and the Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Allegra Stratton.

Macer Hall: This is specifically about comments he made about the way the Labour Party voted on one Bill. The Bill went through “on the nod”. They didn’t vote against it. Will the prime minister apologise and correct the record on this?