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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/29/q-and-a-row-ministerial-access-to-eu-papers-brexit
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| Is the civil service orchestrating an EU referendum cover-up? | Is the civil service orchestrating an EU referendum cover-up? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| What has been said? | What has been said? |
| Last week Britain’s most senior civil servant, Sir Jeremy Heywood, issued guidance for mandarins (pdf) about ministerial access to government papers on the referendum and David Cameron’s EU negotiations. | Last week Britain’s most senior civil servant, Sir Jeremy Heywood, issued guidance for mandarins (pdf) about ministerial access to government papers on the referendum and David Cameron’s EU negotiations. |
| He wrote that the government’s position is to recommend that voters should support staying in the EU. Therefore, civil servants and special advisers should not give pro-Brexit ministers access to government papers on the forthcoming referendum or the prime minister’s renegotiations. An exception should be made for papers they have already seen, he said. | He wrote that the government’s position is to recommend that voters should support staying in the EU. Therefore, civil servants and special advisers should not give pro-Brexit ministers access to government papers on the forthcoming referendum or the prime minister’s renegotiations. An exception should be made for papers they have already seen, he said. |
| Related: Grayling: let pro-Brexit ministers see all EU papers | Related: Grayling: let pro-Brexit ministers see all EU papers |
| Before the rules were introduced, cabinet ministers would have been given access to such papers if they were seen as relevant to their departments. And, let’s face it, ministers and the civil service will concentrate many hours of their time on the EU vote over the coming weeks. | Before the rules were introduced, cabinet ministers would have been given access to such papers if they were seen as relevant to their departments. And, let’s face it, ministers and the civil service will concentrate many hours of their time on the EU vote over the coming weeks. |
| Why are leave campaigners so angry about it? | |
| Those campaigning for Britain to leave the EU believe the new rules are a way of throwing the weight of government behind the Remain campaign and to stop pro-Brexit ministers from using their departments’ resources for preparing new research that might bolster their campaigns. Some in the right-wing press have dubbed Heywood “Sir Cover-up”. | |
| It has been reported that the rules were introduced specifically to stop Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, preparing new research for anti-EU cabinet ministers that could be used in the referendum campaign. The public may wonder whether the row highlights how challenging it will be for the government to function efficiently during the referendum campaign. | |
| What are leave campaigners expected to do about it? | |
| Heywood is expected to face a grilling on Tuesday before the House of Commons public administration committee about his new rules, and could face questions on Monday afternoon, when he appears before the public accounts committee; MPs are expected to debate an urgent question on the new rules on Monday. | |
| How long will the ban last? | How long will the ban last? |
| The rules will apply until 28 days before the referendum, when they will be reviewed. | The rules will apply until 28 days before the referendum, when they will be reviewed. |
| How many ministers will it affect? | How many ministers will it affect? |
| Five cabinet-level ministers are now being given restricted access to government papers. Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has also been cut out of the loop. | Five cabinet-level ministers are now being given restricted access to government papers. Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has also been cut out of the loop. |