David Cameron today point blank refused to answer a question on whether he would publish 'secret' emails between himself and Rebekah Brooks.
A rattled David Cameron today point blank refused to answer a question on whether he would publish emails between himself and disgraced former News International chief exec Rebekah Brooks – emails that were hidden from Lord Leveson.
Watch Flashman in action:
Chris Bryant asked him:
“Why won’t the prime minister… Over here. Why won’t the prime minister publish all the texts, emails and other forms of correspondence between himself and his office, and Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson and News International, is it because… So that we can judge whether they’re relevant. Is it because they’re too salacious and embarrasing for the prime minister… I wouldn’t smile – when the truth comes out, the prime minister won’t be smiling. Or is it because there’s one rule for the prime minister and one rule for the rest of us?”
To which his non-answer was:
“Mr Speaker, before answering this question, I would just like everyone to recall that the Honourable Member stood up in this House and read out a whole lot of Leveson information that was under embargo and he was not meant to read out – much of which turned out, about me, to be untrue – and he has never apologised. And, do you know what, until he apologises, I’m not going to answer his questions.”
Bryant later wrote in The Independent:
“Leave aside the petulant I’m going to kick and kick until I scream pose he adopted, he’s virtually begging people to draft their own conspiracy theory. All I wanted to know is why he’s refusing to publish all the emails and texts between him and Rebekah Brooks and News International. He chose not to deny that they exist – so eventually the truth will out.
“But even more importantly, the whole point of parliament is for MPs to get answers from ministers. Lying is a sackable offence, but blatant obfuscation and point blank refusal to reply is no better. Not only did we learn that there is a stash of salacious and embarrassing material between the PM and Brooks, but that Cameron just isn’t made of the right stuff.”
Yesterday, the Indy revealed:
“Private emails between David Cameron and the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks have been withheld from the Leveson Inquiry after the Prime Minister sought personal legal advice, The Independent can reveal.
“The cache of documents, which runs to dozens of emails and is also thought to include messages sent to Andy Coulson while he was still a Rupert Murdoch employee, was not disclosed after No 10 was advised by a Government lawyer that it was not “relevant” to the inquiry into press standards.
“The contents of the private emails are described by sources as containing “embarrassing” exchanges. They hold the potential to cast further light on the close personal relationship between the Prime Minister and two of the media mogul’s most senior lieutenants.”
Piling on the pressure, shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman this afternoon wrote to the prime minister urging him to:
“…disclose all of his communications with Rebekah Brooks and all of his communications with Andy Coulson and let the Leveson Inquiry decide which are relevant.”
She asks him directly:
• Are there emails between you and Rebekah Brooks that have not been disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry?
If so, will you now disclose them to the Inquiry?
• Are there emails between you and Andy Coulson that have not been disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry?
If so, will you now disclose them to the Inquiry?
The more he refuses to answer, the more angry he gets, the more it looks like he’s got something to hide – why else keep the correspondence secret?
2 Responses to “Watch: Cameron, quizzed on ‘secret’ Brooks emails, says: “I’m not going to answer””
Selohesra
Simple solution is get another Labour MP who hasn’t lied to Parliament to ask the question – then Dave’s excuse has gone
Newsbot9
Yes,trying to use LB for it was a failure.