Facts

On September 7th 2022, during Prime Minister's Questions, Nick Fletcher MP asked Liz Truss “Will she use the full weight of her office on these decision makers [South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and Peel Holdings chairman John Whittaker] to keep our Doncaster Sheffield airport open?”

The Prime Minister responded by saying Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for Transport “is already contacting people in Doncaster and Sheffield to make sure that we protect the airport and protect that vital infrastructure and connectivity that helps our economy to grow.”

The government did not protect the airport. It is set to close permanently. 

Verdict

A misleading statement. According to the Ministerial Code,  “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.  Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister.” Liz Truss was copying the example of her predecessor Boris Johnson and misleading Parliament.

We emailed Liz Truss’ office offering her the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.