Here's @ronniecowan making a point of order regarding misleading statements made by the drugs minister Victoria Atkins (no twitter account) in last weeks debate on Drug Consumption Rooms
theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=20…
Speaker Bercow, (also no twitter account) in response, informs us that the minister has made 'detailed representations' asserting she has not misled the house. Bercow therefore lets this pass as a matter of 'interpretation' or 'difference of opinion'
The problem here is that these are *not* matters of opinion or interpretation, but matters of fact, The minister was simply incorrect and therefore, deliberately or not, misleading.
It is only proper that she correct the record on these answers.
This matters as lives are at stake. The UK has witnessed an shocking spike in drug related death over the past 5 years. Evidence unambiguously shows DCRs can help reduce overdose deaths - (among other well established positive impacts).
In the absence of genuine factual support for their misguided ideological drug policy agenda @GovUK is reduced to the ignominious spectacle of deploying 'alternative facts' in parliament to defend their indefensible intransigence
When formally confronted on this & asked to offer a correction - they simply repeat their demonstrably false position. At this point it moves into the arena of being willfully misleading.
I'm happy to adjudicate Mr Speaker, even if you wont;
We are being lied to.