Backlash over pro-EU campaign
BRITAIN’S top civil servant is orchestrating the Government’s Project Fear EU referendum campaign, it emerged last night.
Sir Jeremy Heywood – nicknamed Sir Cover-Up – has instructed civil servants across Whitehall to produce reams of propaganda on why the UK must remain inside the Brussels club.
Most explosively, publicly-paid officials have been told they must formally bypass any minister who wishes to campaign for Britain to quit the EU.
Normal rules which require ministerial approval have been suspended – with the civil service told to report straight to the Number Ten machine.
At the same time, the civil service has been banned by Sir Jeremy from giving any help to Eurosceptic ministers, who will not even be allowed to see papers relating to the work of their own department.
The instructions were last night described by senior Tory MPs as improper, unacceptable and an affront to democracy. The diktats hand a huge advantage to the In campaign and the Prime Minister who can call on the full might of the Whitehall machine. Leave campaigners said the contest was being rigged and the £200,000-a-year Cabinet Secretary was behaving like ‘Sir Stitch-Up’.
Bernard Jenkin, chairman of Westminster’s Public Administration Committee, said he was writing to Sir Jeremy for an urgent explanation. And in a reference to TV comedy Yes Minister, Douglas Carswell MP tweeted last night: ‘Governed by Sir Humphrey. Kick ’em hard on June 23rd!’ The revelations came as: ÷ It emerged the signatories of a Government-orchestrated letter supporting EU membership had received 120million euros from Brussels; ÷ David Cameron took another swipe at Boris Johnson but still plans to give him a senior Cabinet job after the referendum; ÷ The wife of Michael Gove writes in the Mail of her husband’s torture choosing between his principles on wanting to leave the EU and friendship with the PM.
In his edict Sir Jeremy – nicknamed Sir Cover-Up for his role in blocking the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war from seeing letters between Tony Blair and George Bush – banned civil servants from giving official documents and briefings on the EU to ministers who are campaigning to quit.
He will decide if any of his rules have been broken. Ultimately, civil servants could be sacked.
Separately, three senior government sources told the Mail how Sir Jeremy had sent out instructions for Whitehall to begin working on a pro-EU propaganda blitz on behalf of Number Ten.
In cases where the information relates to a minister campaigning for Out, they will not be told or required to sign-off the document. Senior Tory MP Mr Jenkin, whose committee keeps check on civil service neutrality, said: ‘It is highly unorthodox for No 10 to be grabbing data from a department behind the back of the responsible minister.’
Sir Bill Cash, chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, said the instructions issued by the Cabinet Secretary were ‘completely unacceptable’. Downing Street sources said the Prime Minister had made it clear the Government would be producing information on the case for remaining inside the EU. Sir Jeremy was acting upon this instruction.
Aides said it would be ‘absurd’ for the taxpayer-funded civil service to be providing advice which went against the wishes of the PM and elected Government. Commons Leader Chris Grayling, who is campaigning to quit the EU, said no one expects the PM to be making the ‘In’ case with no help.
But he said the Government can’t be seen to be spending large amounts of public money and time on one side or the other.
Comment – Page 14 Sarah Vine – Page 15