Shame he's wrong, then!
Hmm - well firstly he is not strictly a politician, secondly I think the interpretation of the legislation is accurate and thirdly in my field statements made in the House have a very strong basis in law particularly where they clarrify the current understanding. I doubt he would have given the explanation he did on an uninformed basis.
A commercial departs and suffers an engine failure. There is no immediate danger. The crew are well practised, there is no fire, and ample power to continue safely on one engine. The aircraft is not in
serious or imminent danger but the crew call a mayday because they rightly require complete priority to return and land - it is SOP.