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| Harman admits Sir Fred blunder | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Harriet Harman has admitted wrongly telling MPs that the ex-banking boss Sir Fred Goodwin had received his knighthood for charity work. | |
| Labour's deputy leader made the blunder as she stood in for Gordon Brown at prime minister's questions. | |
| The official record shows the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief was knighted "for services to banking". | |
| Sir Fred has faced calls to be stripped of his knighthood for helping drive RBS to the brink of ruin. | |
| Ms Harman, who has been the most outspoken Cabinet critic of Sir Fred's £700,000-a-year pension deal, was challenged about the honour by Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Elfyn LLwyd. | |
| Leadership ambitions | |
| Asked who had put him forward and why, she told him: "I think Sir Fred was nominated for a knighthood because of his services for the Prince's Trust. | |
| "I understand it was not in recognition of his services to banking." | |
| But immediately after the Question Time session, Ms Harman was forced to correct the mistake. | |
| In a statement, her office said: "The Leader of the House is happy to correct what she said at Prime Minister's Questions today regarding Sir Fred Goodwin's knighthood. | |
| "It was, in fact, the case that he received his honour for services to banking but no doubt his contribution to the Prince's Trust would also have been taken into account." | |
| Earlier in the session, acting Conservative leader William Hague taunted Ms Harman about her alleged Labour leadership ambitions saying "this could be her moment". | |
| To howls of laughter from Tory MPs, Mr Hague compared Labour's deputy leader to Churchill, who stepped in when his party lost confidence in its leader. | To howls of laughter from Tory MPs, Mr Hague compared Labour's deputy leader to Churchill, who stepped in when his party lost confidence in its leader. |
| He also invoked Harold Macmillan, who took over from Anthony Eden. | He also invoked Harold Macmillan, who took over from Anthony Eden. |
| Ms Harman, standing in for Gordon Brown at prime ministers' questions, accused Mr Hague of focusing on "gossip". | Ms Harman, standing in for Gordon Brown at prime ministers' questions, accused Mr Hague of focusing on "gossip". |