Briefing by the Prime Minister’s spokesman on: Nuclear non-proliferation Summit, Cabinet and President Obama
Nuclear non-proliferation Summit
Asked why the Prime Minister would not be attending the summit hosted by President Obama on nuclear non-proliferation, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) said that now the election had been called circumstances had changed and the Foreign Secretary would be representing the Prime Minister at the summit. The White House had been informed and completely understood the decision.
Asked if we were downgrading the importance of the summit by sending the Foreign Secretary instead of the Prime Minister, the PMS said no; the Foreign Secretary went with the Prime Minister’s full authority.
Cabinet
Asked who took over from the Prime Minister and chaired the political Cabinet meeting when he went to Buckingham Palace, the PMS said that an informal political discussion followed the formal Cabinet.
Asked if Cabinet would meet again before the election, the PMS said that it was unlikely.
Asked if there were any fallback plans for Cabinet to meet if there was an emergency, the PMS said that that was a hypothetical question; Government business continued and the Prime Minister would continue to keep in close contact with his Cabinet colleagues.
President Obama
Asked if anything should be read into the timing of the Prime Minister’s phone call with President Obama this evening, the PMS said no; the Prime Minister and the President spoke regularly.
Asked if this was the Prime Minister’s last phone call with President Obama before the election, the PMS said that he would not speculate on timings of the Prime Minister’s phone calls.
