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Afternoon press briefing from 8 June 2009

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Briefing by the Prime Minister’s spokesman on: Michelle Obama, Glenys Kinnock, reshuffle and Shahid Malik

Michelle Obama

Asked whether Michelle Obama had visited Downing Street today, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that Michelle Obama had not visited No10. Asked whether the Prime Minister or Sarah Brown had met with Michelle Obama outside of Downing Street, the PMS said that neither the Prime Minister nor Sarah Brown had met with Michelle Obama.

Asked if either the Prime Minister or Sarah Brown had spoken to Michelle Obama today, the PMS said that they had not spoken to Michelle Obama today. Asked if Downing Street or the Government had provided any assistance for Michelle Obama’s visit to London, the PMS said we would not comment on issues relating to the First Lady.

Glenys Kinnock

Asked whether Glenys Kinnock could be Europe Minister as well as being an MEP, the PMS replied that the position with Glenys Kinnock was that she intended to step down as an MEP with immediate effect, so that she could become Europe Minister and she was in discussion with the European Parliament in order to make that happen.

Asked if it had only come to light today that Glenys Kinnock was having urgent talks about stepping down as an MEP, the PMS said that he would not characterise it in those terms at all. Glenys Kinnock was an MEP and as an MEP she could not serve in national Governments. Therefore it was her intention to stand down with immediate effect from the European Parliament and she was in discussion with the European Parliament to make that happen.

Put that there was some suggestion that Glenys Kinnock was eking out her stay as an MEP in order to maximise the expenses and benefits, the PMS said that that was not the case. Glenys Kinnock was standing down from the European Parliament with immediate effect. Asked if she was a full Government Minister this morning, the PMS said that she became a full Minister once she had stood down from the European Parliament.

Reshuffle

Asked how many Ministers of State had left the Government, the PMS said one had left and that was Jane Kennedy.

Asked if there were any particular appointments that he would like to elaborate on, the PMS replied that the people coming in at Minister of State level included Angela Smith, coming into the Government as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office; there was a promotion from Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for both Maria and Angela Eagle; Joan Ruddock was being promoted from a Parliamentary Undersecretary of State to a Minister of State; Jim Fitzpatrick was being promoted to replace Jane Kennedy at DEFRA; Ivan Lewis was being promoted from Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at DfID to replace Bill Rammell at the Foreign Office and Bill Rammell was moving over to the Ministry of Defence to replace Bob Ainsworth.

Asked if he knew who the new PPS to the Prime Minister would be, the PMS said that we hadn’t made that appointment yet. Asked if he was confident that all PPS posts would be filled, the PMS said that he was.

Put that Jane Kennedy had said that she could not live with the smearing and undermining style of Government and did the PMS recognise that characterisation, the PMS said that he would not get involved or respond to that.

Asked if the Prime Minister had met Ministers of State in a group this afternoon, the PMS replied that he had not. The Prime Minister had meetings with Cabinet Ministers and Ministers as people would expect. Asked about the meeting in No10 this afternoon, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had had meetings with Ministerial colleagues during the course of the day, but he did that every day. Asked whether the meeting in No10 this afternoon was a crisis meeting to discuss tactics for the PLP meeting, the PMS said that it was not.

Shahid Malik

Asked if Shahid Malik remained as a Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, the PMS said that we would be announcing the list of Parliamentary Undersecretaries of State in due course. Asked whether he was expecting the report from the Parliamentary Commission, the PMS said he did not want to deal with any questions relating to Shahid Malik at this point; he would do that once we had published the list of Parliamentary Undersecretaries of State.


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