In ethics, evasion is an act that deceives by stating a true statement that is irrelevant or leads to a false conclusion.
Evasions are closely related to equivocations and mental reservations; indeed, some statements fall under both descriptions.
While discussing a meeting Howard had with the head of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis, about the possible dismissal of the head of Parkhurst Prison; Paxman asked Howard "did you threaten to overrule him?".
[2][3] Overt question dodging can sometimes be employed humorously, in order to sidestep giving a public answer in a political discussion: when a reporter asked Mayor Richard J. Daley why Hubert Humphrey had lost the state of Illinois in the 1968 presidential election, Daley replied "He lost it because he didn't get enough votes.
In the context of political discourse, evasion is a technique of equivocation that is important for face management.