Downing Street ‘must review hiring policy’ after adviser quits
THE Government must review its vetting and hiring procedures, according to a senior minister, following the resignation of a Downing Street aide.
Andrew Sabisky was forced to quit his role as an adviser to the Government, after it emerged he made a series of comments about black people and eugenics online.
Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng has called the remarks “reprehensible” and “racist”, saying the Government must reassess its hiring process.
However he added that the aide “left the Government pretty quickly” after the comments came to light, suggesting he “jumped before he was pushed”.
He said: “I don’t know how this man appeared on the horizon, I don’t know how he was recruited.
“What I do know is his remarks were offensive and racist and as soon as they came to light, he left the Government pretty quickly.”
The SNP’S deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman has called on Boris Johnson to “come clean” about what checks were carried out on Mr Sabisky, who was recruited as part of special adviser Dominic Cummings’ plan for “misfits and weirdos” to join the Government.
Ms Blackman said: “It is beyond shameful that a man with a well-documented history of unapologetically offensive, misogynistic, and racist remarks was considered by Number 10 to be an appropriate hire.
“Special advisers do not have the power to hire contractors or to appoint advisers without ministerial approval so there must now be full transparency and the Tories must set out which Government minister signed off on hiring Sabisky?
“What vetting was carried out during the process? And, what role Sabisky was hired for and what his main duties would have been?
“It’s concerning that Cummings’ call for ‘misfits and weirdos’ was in fact a call for individuals whose abhorrent views should have no place in any government.
“This latest episode just serves as yet another reminder of the rot at the core of this Government and its lurch to the extremes.”
Mr Sabiksy resigned after just two days, in what he described as a “giant character assassination.”
He tweeted: “I hope No 10 hires more people [with] good geopolitical forecasting track records & that media learn to stop selective quoting.”