Facts
Transport Minister Huw Merriman told Sky News’ Kay Burley that the government notified Labour leader Keir Starmer and Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle in advance of the Houthi bombing strikes on the evening of the 22nd January 2024. He said: “I can confirm that the leader of the Opposition and indeed the Speaker were again given that information in the same way that they were the first time.”
When pressed on the matter later the same day on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Merriman again said he was “told that the leader of the opposition, and indeed the speaker, were informed. That’s the assurance I’ve been given.”
“I can only pass on what I’ve been told, which is that I was informed that the leader of the opposition had been informed in the same way that he was when the first strikes were being put together, so that’s the information that I can convey over to you.”
Sources close to both Starmer and Hoyle then told the Huffington Post that they had been kept in the dark.
Downing Street was then obliged to confirm that Merriman had misled Sky News and ITV viewers. Starmer and Hoyle were only informed of the raids at 10pm on 22nd January 2024, by which time they were taking place.
Verdict
Huw Merriman misled the public not once, but twice.
We emailed Huw Merriman’s office offering him the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.