Prime Minister

Boris Johnson Excerpts

Wednesday 6th July 2022 Ministerial Corrections

The following is an extract from questions to the Prime Minister on 15 June 2022.

[The Prime Minister]

We have got lower unemployment than France, Germany, Italy or Canada. As I have said, we have the highest number of people in payroll jobs—620,000 more—since records began. The right hon. Gentleman might like to know that just in the first five months of this year, this country has attracted, I think, £16 billion of investment in its tech sector. He does not like these European comparisons; let us make them for him. That is three times as much as Germany, twice as much as France. He should be talking this country up, not running it down.

[Official Report, 15 June 2022, Vol. 716, c. 281.]

Letter of correction from the Prime Minister:

An error has been identified in my response to the Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer).

The correct response should have been:

[The Prime Minister]

We have got lower unemployment than France, Germany, Italy or Canada. As I have said, we have the highest number of people in payroll jobs—620,000 more—since records began. The right hon. Gentleman might like to know that just in the first five months of this year, this country has attracted, I think, $16 billion of investment in its tech sector. He does not like these European comparisons; let us make them for him. That is three times as much as Germany, twice as much as France. He should be talking this country up, not running it down.