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Priti Patel escalates row over treatment of Brexit ministers Priti Patel escalates row over treatment of Brexit ministers
(6 months later)
A row at the heart of the cabinet over the treatment of “Brexit” ministers has escalated after the employment minister, Priti Patel, accused the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, of acting in an unconstitutional manner.A row at the heart of the cabinet over the treatment of “Brexit” ministers has escalated after the employment minister, Priti Patel, accused the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, of acting in an unconstitutional manner.
As Downing Street rejected claims of scaremongering by the Commons leader, Chris Grayling, after No 10 warned that it would take a decade to extricate the UK from the EU, Patel warned of a threat to the impartiality of the civil service.As Downing Street rejected claims of scaremongering by the Commons leader, Chris Grayling, after No 10 warned that it would take a decade to extricate the UK from the EU, Patel warned of a threat to the impartiality of the civil service.
Related: Is the civil service orchestrating an EU referendum cover-up?
Whitehall sources have confirmed that Heywood told senior civil servants that there would be times when they would have to bypass the six senior ministers who want to leave the EU.Whitehall sources have confirmed that Heywood told senior civil servants that there would be times when they would have to bypass the six senior ministers who want to leave the EU.
And in a statement issued by the Vote Leave campaign group, Patel said: “It is important that the civil service maintains impartiality during the EU referendum. Jeremy Heywood’s unconstitutional act threatens the reputation of the civil service.And in a statement issued by the Vote Leave campaign group, Patel said: “It is important that the civil service maintains impartiality during the EU referendum. Jeremy Heywood’s unconstitutional act threatens the reputation of the civil service.
“Secretaries of state are responsible for their departments. For an unelected official to prevent them being aware of the information they need for their duties is wrong.”“Secretaries of state are responsible for their departments. For an unelected official to prevent them being aware of the information they need for their duties is wrong.”
Patel’s attack came as Grayling, who also supports Brexit, accused No 10 of embarking on a “relentless campaign of fear” after the government claimed that a vote to leave would lead to a decade of uncertainty. In its first official analysis into how Brexit would unfold in practice, the government warned that it would hit “financial markets, investment and the value of the pound”.Patel’s attack came as Grayling, who also supports Brexit, accused No 10 of embarking on a “relentless campaign of fear” after the government claimed that a vote to leave would lead to a decade of uncertainty. In its first official analysis into how Brexit would unfold in practice, the government warned that it would hit “financial markets, investment and the value of the pound”.
Grayling told Sky News: “People will not be impressed with this relentless campaign of fear. Claims that it will take twice as long to sort out a free trade deal with the EU as it did to win World War Two are clearly ludicrous. There’s a free trade zone from Iceland to the Russian border and Britain will still be part of it after we vote leave.”Grayling told Sky News: “People will not be impressed with this relentless campaign of fear. Claims that it will take twice as long to sort out a free trade deal with the EU as it did to win World War Two are clearly ludicrous. There’s a free trade zone from Iceland to the Russian border and Britain will still be part of it after we vote leave.”
Related: Grayling: let pro-Brexit ministers see all EU papers
David Lidington, the Europe minister, will outline the report to MPs in a statement on Monday afternoon. He will then launch a debate on the secondary legislation to set the date for the referendum on 23 June and to allow the Electoral Commission to designate the two “lead” campaigns.David Lidington, the Europe minister, will outline the report to MPs in a statement on Monday afternoon. He will then launch a debate on the secondary legislation to set the date for the referendum on 23 June and to allow the Electoral Commission to designate the two “lead” campaigns.
Downing Street dismissed Grayling’s accusations. The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “The prime minister would completely reject that. We are clear, both the prime minister in terms of his responsibility as prime minister and the government, to speak plainly about what the government believes is right for the country. That is that we will be better off, stronger and safer in a reformed EU.”Downing Street dismissed Grayling’s accusations. The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “The prime minister would completely reject that. We are clear, both the prime minister in terms of his responsibility as prime minister and the government, to speak plainly about what the government believes is right for the country. That is that we will be better off, stronger and safer in a reformed EU.”
No 10 also rejected claims that Heywood was acting in an unconstitutional manner. Speaking before Patel released her statement, the spokeswoman said: “The guidance is clear, there have been no complaints raised with the cabinet secretary or his office on operation of that guidance. There is no outright ban on a government minister, whatever their position, receiving papers on EU-related business. Day-to-day EU business will continue in the normal way.No 10 also rejected claims that Heywood was acting in an unconstitutional manner. Speaking before Patel released her statement, the spokeswoman said: “The guidance is clear, there have been no complaints raised with the cabinet secretary or his office on operation of that guidance. There is no outright ban on a government minister, whatever their position, receiving papers on EU-related business. Day-to-day EU business will continue in the normal way.
“On the issue of the EU referendum specifically there is a government position. But the prime minister has said to his ministers: I recognise this is an important choice so I will give you the option of taking a personal position, consequently suspending collective responsibility. The role of the civil service is to support the government’s policies and position of the day. Ministers who choose to take a different view are opposing that government position.”“On the issue of the EU referendum specifically there is a government position. But the prime minister has said to his ministers: I recognise this is an important choice so I will give you the option of taking a personal position, consequently suspending collective responsibility. The role of the civil service is to support the government’s policies and position of the day. Ministers who choose to take a different view are opposing that government position.”
But Bernard Jenkin, the chairman of the Commons public administration select committee, who is tabling an urgent question in the Commons, said Heywood appeared to be acting in an “unorthodox and unprecedented” manner. The row first broke out last week when Heywood issued guidelines banning civil servants from showing official papers related to the EU referendum to Brexit.But Bernard Jenkin, the chairman of the Commons public administration select committee, who is tabling an urgent question in the Commons, said Heywood appeared to be acting in an “unorthodox and unprecedented” manner. The row first broke out last week when Heywood issued guidelines banning civil servants from showing official papers related to the EU referendum to Brexit.
In a move aimed specifically at Iain Duncan Smith, Heywood issued guidelines last week to ban civil servants from preparing new research for anti-EU cabinet ministers that could be used in the EU referendum campaign. No 10 had feared that Duncan Smith, who has strong doubts about the welfare elements of the prime minister’s EU reform plan, would seek to ask his officials to assess the credibility of the plan.In a move aimed specifically at Iain Duncan Smith, Heywood issued guidelines last week to ban civil servants from preparing new research for anti-EU cabinet ministers that could be used in the EU referendum campaign. No 10 had feared that Duncan Smith, who has strong doubts about the welfare elements of the prime minister’s EU reform plan, would seek to ask his officials to assess the credibility of the plan.
At least one permanent secretary is understood to have raised concerns with their Brexit secretary of state that Heywood may be acting in a constitutionally inappropriate manner because secretaries of state, technically at least, are solely responsible for their departments under a seal granted by the Queen.At least one permanent secretary is understood to have raised concerns with their Brexit secretary of state that Heywood may be acting in a constitutionally inappropriate manner because secretaries of state, technically at least, are solely responsible for their departments under a seal granted by the Queen.
Officials in Heywood’s office are also contacting the private offices of ministers who have yet to declare which side they are supporting in the referendum, asking them to make their intentions clear. This is designed to work out whether they are entitled to see all papers in their department related to the referendum. Duncan Smith urged David Cameron to reverse the Heywood guidelines.Officials in Heywood’s office are also contacting the private offices of ministers who have yet to declare which side they are supporting in the referendum, asking them to make their intentions clear. This is designed to work out whether they are entitled to see all papers in their department related to the referendum. Duncan Smith urged David Cameron to reverse the Heywood guidelines.
Jenkin said that any attempt by Heywood to bypass a secretary of state would be unconstitutional and could be unlawful by infringing the Carltona principle, which says that officials in a department work “under the authority of ministers”. Jenkin, whose committee will question Heywood on Tuesday, said of the cabinet secretary’s guidelines: “This is unorthodox and unprecedented. In law the minister is indivisible from his or her department.”Jenkin said that any attempt by Heywood to bypass a secretary of state would be unconstitutional and could be unlawful by infringing the Carltona principle, which says that officials in a department work “under the authority of ministers”. Jenkin, whose committee will question Heywood on Tuesday, said of the cabinet secretary’s guidelines: “This is unorthodox and unprecedented. In law the minister is indivisible from his or her department.”