Spain, spin and the G20

Left Foot Forward

At PMQs today, Gordon Brown answered a question about G20 countries and the recession by saying:

“Spain is in the G20 now and is in recession.”

Quick as a flash Tory Bear posted an article demanding an apology from Brown after saying he “lied to the House”.

So who’s right? Our facts on growth were a bit old yesterday but we did say:

“Spain, who attend G20 meetings, are also still in recession.”

Spain is not a formal member, as TB noted, however they did attend the London and Washington summits (see pics) and would like to attend the G20 again as the EU’s rotating president in the first half of 2010.

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43 Responses to “Spain, spin and the G20”

  1. Meredith A

    Pete Bowers, spectacular missing of the point, which concerned which member states of the G20 are still in recession. By your reckoning Norwich is in the G20. This is not a pub quiz.

  2. Carl

    I think it is entirely possible that this was an honest mistake, not deceit – who’s with me?

  3. Pete Bowers

    @Meredith A. I know what the point is – Cameron was trying to suggest that the UK isn’t doing as well as other similar economies. But using the membership of the G20 (or the size of an economy) to define what is similar to the UK is not necessarily fair. That method doesn’t, for example, take account of differences in terms of what the major industries are in the other G20 economies. Similarly, there is perhaps too much emphasis on the *speed* of recovery at the cost of a focus on a strong and sustainable return to growth(I’d suggest that the potential fragility of the impending recovery is a more significant issue than the speed).

    My reckoning doesn’t imply that Norwich is in the G20 because Norwich isn’t (yet) an independent state.

    Finally, I agree with Carl.

  4. Albert Hall

    I find it difficult to believe that Brown ever made an honest mistake. Plenty of dishonest ones though.

  5. GizmoDuck

    Brown is deliberatly lying. He knows Spain isn’t a member of the G20 and said so him self in this press conference.

    http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17206

    “If there is, let’s say, a G20 meeting, and Spain is not a member of the G20, I think, and I have said to President Bush that Spain should be represented at this meeting.” Gordon Brown, Thursday 16 October 2008,Prime Minister and Proven Lier

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