How the PM misled the House of Commons today

Here are three quotes on X today from Dan Hodges.

1) "So I’ve just checked Hansard. And it’s clear that Starmer also misquoted Robbins. He took half a quote to make it look like Robbins had denied pressure had been brought to bear. Where the full quote actually says the opposite."

2) This is the quote that is sparking anxiety inside No.10 this evening. Starmer: “No pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case”. Senior Starmer aides believe that statement is going to come back to bite him in a major way.

3) "I’m told Starmer was simply supposed to stick to quoting Robbins. But by extemporising he made a statement himself that is a provable untruth. Understand they are especially concerned about what Robbins predecessor Sir Phillip Barton will say on the issue."



And here are two from Matthew Stadlen making a similar point:

3) "Starmer told the Commons at PMQs:

"[Robbins] was asked if any conversations led him to believe that Mandelson needed to take up the role regardless of vetting outcome. He said, "I can say with certainty it was never put to me in that way."

What Starmer failed to add is that Sir Olly immediately went on to tell Parliament that: "...I certainly did arrive to an atmosphere where this was not just, 'Please get this done quickly,' but, 'And get it done.' That was, I think, a pretty unmistakeable feeling. As I hope I have also been clear to the Committee, I don’t think I allowed that to cloud my judgment; certainly, the security team did not."

Instead, Starmer went on to tell MPs, "No pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case."


4) "Struggling to see how Starmer’s claim today at Prime Minister’s Questions that “no pressure existed whatsoever” in relation to the Mandelson vetting is compatible with Sir Olly Robbins’ evidence to Parliament."


This is what Kemi Badenoch had to say on the matter:

"Today at PMQs, Keir Starmer selectively quoted Olly Robbins’ evidence at the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

Starmer said on Mandelson’s vetting: "no pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case".

But Robbins’ own written evidence to the Committee talks of an “atmosphere of pressure" from No10.


On Monday, Robbins told the Committee: "Throughout January, honestly, my office and the Foreign Secretary’s office were under constant pressure. There was an atmosphere of constant chasing".

Starmer was therefore wrong to say that "no pressure existed whatsoever".

He must correct the record immediately."

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