The Speaker of the House of Commons has issued a stinging slapdown to Boris Johnson, after Downing Street indicated that the prime minster would not correct a misleading statement to MPs.
Mr Johnson was accused of lying to MPs during the weekly session of prime minister’s questions when he twice wrongly stated that Labour had voted against a document proposing an above-inflation pay rise for nurses.
But his press secretary Allegra Stratton indicated that he would not apologise or correct his statement, saying that the matter was closed after the Speaker accepted a “point of clarification” from Labour pointing out the PM’s falsehood.
In a stern rebuke, Hoyle today made a statement to the Commons, in which he said he should not be dragged into political rows over the accuracy of statements made by MPs.
The Speaker said MPs “must take responsibility” for correcting the record if they make a mistake in the chamber, adding: “It is not dishonourable to make a mistake, but to seek to avoid admitting one is a different matter.”
Mr Johnson clashed with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday over proposals for a below-inflation pay rise for NHS workers in England.
Mr Starmer said the original funding package had included a 2.1 per cent increase rather than the 1 per cent now recommended by ministers.
Mr Johnson twice claimed Labour voted against the settlement for the NHS – but the NHS Funding Act was approved “on the nod” without a vote in early 2020 after Starmer’s party offered no formal opposition.
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth accused Mr Johnson of misleading MPs and later used a social media post to say Mr Johnson “lied at PMQs”.
It was the third time in as many weeks that the prime minister has been accused of misleading MPs at PMQs.
At a post-PMQS media briefing on Wednesday, Ms Stratton was repeatedly challenged over Mr Johnson’s comments and did not dispute claims that they were incorrect, but indicated he would neither apologise nor correct the record.
In response to around 20 questions on the issue, she repeatedly stated: “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 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.
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.
Mr Hoyle, in his statement, told the Commons: “All members should correct the record if they make an inaccurate statement to the House.
“They can do so by raising a point of order or in debate or, in the case of ministers, they can make a statement or issue a written ministerial statement.
“The Government’s own ministerial code could not be clearer about what is expected of ministers. It says, ‘It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity’.
“The Speaker cannot be dragged into arguments about whether a statement is inaccurate or not. This is a matter of political debate.
“All members of this House are honourable. They must take responsibility for correcting the record if a mistake has been made. It is not dishonourable to make a mistake, but to seek to avoid admitting one is a different matter.
“I said when I was elected Speaker that we needed to treat each other and the electorate with respect.
“What I have talked about today is an important part of that and I hope all members will act in that spirit.”
Ms Stratton later denied that Mr Johnson’s comments in the chamber were incorrect.
She claimed that the PM’s comments to Starmer related not to the NHS Funding Bill, which covered nurses’ pay, but to Labour voting against the Queen’s Speech, which includes the government’s whole agenda for the year ahead.
There was no mention of the Queen’s Speech in the PMQs exchange, when Mr Johnson referred only to “the last time that we put this to a vote”.
Ms Stratton said: “The prime minister’s view is that Labour in January of 2020 voted against the Queen’s Speech, which is a document that included in it the government’s proposals to increase massively funding for the NHS, and also to bring in more nurses and increase the equipment that hospitals up and down the country have.
“The Labour Party voted against that and that is the basis for what he said at prime minister’s questions.”
