Boris Johnson is resisting calls to correct the parliamentary record after misleading MPs about Labour’s record on NHS pay, in a possible breach of his own ministerial code of conduct.
At prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson twice accused Labour of voting against the NHS Funding Bill and its proposal for a 2.1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff.
But the issue did not in fact go to a vote, but passed “on the nod” with Labour offering no opposition.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth immediately seized on the PM’s misleading comment, calling for Mr Johnson to be called back to the House to correct it.
The ministerial code of conduct states that it is “of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity”.
Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament “will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister”, the code states.
But Downing Street made clear that Mr Johnson is not planning to return to the Commons to correct his false statement.
In a media briefing following PMQs, the PM’s press secretary Allegra Stratton did not contest Mr Ashworth’s position that Mr Johnson’s statement to MPs was incorrect.
But she ducked a question on whether the PM now accepted that his claim was wrong.
And she insisted that the matter had been settled by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who told Mr Ashworth that he accepted his objection as “a point of clarification”.
There is no reference in the ministerial code of any role for the Speaker in correcting a misleading statement made to MPs by a member of the government.
If the PM refuses to correct the record, it would stand in stark contrast to Sir Keir Starmer’s action last month when he issued a prompt apology after giving an incorrect response during PMQs.
Asked why Mr Johnson was not following the Labour leader’s example, Ms Stratton said: “Within minutes in this instance, this issue was raised in the proper place, which is the House of Commons chamber.
“The Speaker listened to the shadow health secretary and accepted a point of clarification, and he regarded the matter as having been dealt with.”
The PM’s press secretary dodged a question on whether Mr Johnson now accepted that his comments to MPs were inaccurate, instead replying: “The matter was dealt with incredibly swiftly. The shadow health secretary was on his feet without a pause or breath after PMQs was wound up, and the issue was dealt with immediately by the House of Commons Speaker, who regarded a point of clarification as having been made and the matter as having been dealt with.”
