Yesterday Francis Maude posed a series of questions to the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell (pictured) about the Downing Street "Smear-gate" affair, to which Sir Gus replied this morning.
What is now clear is that the Cabinet Secretary will not be conducting an investigation into whether Damian McBride breached the special adviser's code prior to this incident and whether others have been involved in such activities as this smearing operation.
Here's my take on how Sir Gus has answered Mr Maude's letter…
1. Who was party to e-mail exchanges suggesting smear stories against Conservative MPs?
No answer. Sir Gus merely reports that the Prime Minister made a statement saying he "had been assured" that no minister or political adviser apart from Mr McBride had knowledge or involvement in the emails. Who gave him that assurance? Is his word really sufficient?
2. Who was aware of the proposal to set up the Red Rag website? Specifically, was the Prime Minister aware of the proposed website or the concept behind it?
As per 1.
3. Were any members of the media copied in to email exchanges, using the government e-mail system, proposing the setting up of the Red Rag website, or suggesting smears of the Conservative Party?
Not answered.
4. Was the use of the government e-mail system for exchanges about the Red Flag website or smear stories against the Conservative Party in breach of the Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers or any other relevant guidelines?
Answered. He says it was a "clear and serious breach" of the special advisers' Code of Conduct.
5. In the case of Mr McBride, can you confirm that his actions were in breach of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers?
Answered as per 4.
6. Can you confirm that Mr McBride is no longer paid by the taxpayer, and that he will not receive any severance pay?
Not entirely clear; he says that Mr McBride is "no longer employed as a special adviser", that his resignation had "immediate effect" and that he "has not received severance pay". But are we 100% sure he has not been transferred to some other role??
7. In the case of Mr Tom Watson, who is both Minister for the Civil Service and Minister for Digital Engagement, did he have any knowledge of or involvement in the Red Rag website? Are you satisfied that he has complied fully with the Ministerial Code, given that he was referred to in one of the e-mails published yesterday? What action have you taken to assure yourself that this is the case?
Not answered; he merely defers to Tom Watson having "made his own position clear".
8. What action are you taking to find out if the e-mails sent by Damian McBride are part of a broader pattern of activity by other Special Advisers, and if there are similar initiatives involving either officials in Downing Street or Ministers or Special Advisers elsewhere in the Government?
Not answered; or at least his answer is effectively: "we are not taking any such action".
So there are definitely further questions to be asked, one of which could also be the following, posed by James Forsyth on Coffee House this morning:
How can we take Sir Gus O’Donnell seriously when he wrote a book with Ed Balls?
It's true. Buy it from Amazon here.
