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. Straws in the wind? « Bage Blog

    […] Alistair Darling has no wriggle room, and Britain’s refusal to join the rest of the G20 (and, depending on your view, Spain) in the sunlit uplands of economic growth might see the fightback choked off before […]

  2. John Moss

    “You can’t spend your way out of recession”. G Brown, Labour Party Conference 29 September 1997

  3. John Moss

    Cameron’s “mistake” was to say Government funding for the school came from scheme “A”, when actually it came from scheme “B”. So pedants amongst us ought to be just as worked up about Brown’s mistake about the G20 membership.

    Personally, I am concerned that an organisation charged with sorting out the economic mess calls itself the “G-20” yet only has 19 members. (I don’t count the EU as it has no legal status – oh, hang on…..)

  4. Harman Misleads the House - Guy Fawkes' blog

    […] the last member country in the recession. As Guido comprehensively pointed out and even the left conceded was correct, Spain is not in the […]

  5. Sam

    I am perfectly willing to accept it was an honest mistake. I mean, if you see a country represented at G-20 events often enough and they are a large western European country (rather than, say, Ethiopia), it is not unreasonable that Gordon forgot they were not a G-20 member. But for the love of all things, now that it has been shown they are not in the G-20 just OWN UP TO IT. Most people who watch PMQ’s know it is a bearpit and sometimes people make mistakes during the debate. Accept it was a mistake, apologise, and move on!

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