Sir Cover-Up may take centre stage

THE most senior civil servant will play a crucial role over the next few days if Theresa May has to scramble to put together a workable government.

Sir Jeremy Heywood – nicknamed Sir Cover-Up for his role in the suppression of evidence to the Iraq inquiry – will be centre stage in talks between parties.

The Cabinet Secretary will be one of the two main figures advising the Queen on who to call to the palace if, as expected, neither main party wins a majority. The monarch will also take advice from her private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt.

Convention dictates that the sitting PM can stay in Downing Street to try to cobble together a government with other parties. Mrs May is therefore likely to stay in No 10 as caretaker PM while negotiations take place. During this time, Sir Jeremy will offer support to cross-party talks to form any coalitions, and will ensure Mrs May and her ministers do no more than act as a caretaker government.

A hung parliament could lead to a second election within months – an event last seen in 1974, when Tory PM Ted Heath failed to win a majority in a February snap poll.

After failing to form a coalition, he resigned, leaving Labour with a minority government, which struggled to function. It called a second election in October.