In my earlier post about Gordon Brown's performance at his press conference on CentreRight, I also mentioned that the Prime Minister failed to answer Ben Brogan's question about whether or not he would honour Tony Blair's previous promise to give David Cameron and the shadow cabinet access to the civil service as of the New Year.
This has always been offered by convention to the Opposition, in order that they can discuss with Whitehall departments what they would hope to be doing if elected into office.
Ben Brogan has now got his response:
"Barely two hours later and the fax machine in Mr Cameron's office has whirred out a letter from the Prime Minister confirming that yes indeed, those meetings can go ahead as agreed by Tony Blair in 2006. So from January 1st, Conservative front benchers will be free to open talks with senior officials about implementing the Conservative manifesto in 2010, assuming it ever comes to that."
Quite right too. Any attempt to renege on the previously agreed arrangement would have been an outrageously partisan act.
Jonathan Isaby
No the Civil Service shredders have finished their job and everything is tidy and looking ship shape with the odd file of papers here and there to make it look busy, DC has had the letter confirming an verbal invitation made by Blair 2 years ago.
Nice !
Mind he takes Damian Green with him.
Posted by: rugfish | December 19, 2008 at 16:46
Now the Civil Service shredders have finished their job and everything is tidy and looking ship shape with the odd file of papers here and there to make it look busy, DC has had the letter confirming an verbal invitation made by Blair 2 years ago.
Nice !
Mind he takes Damian Green with him.
Posted by: rugfish | December 19, 2008 at 16:47
I wonder whether we might start to see some leaks from that process though...
Posted by: Angelo Basu | December 19, 2008 at 16:55
Anyone else think that Labour is deliberately wasting the Tories' time by winding them up on matters like this which vitally matter but which they know the majority of the public doesn't understand or think affects them (and therefore don't particularly care about)? Which they then use as an excuse to attack the Tories for not caring about the economy.
I despair. I saw Andy Burnham say on TV that his interest was in seeing that Labour remain in power forever. It is almost astonishing that a minister would so openly admit that he puts the interests of his party before the interests of the country - except there's very little this utterly corrupt administration could astonish me with any more.
Posted by: Tom FD | December 19, 2008 at 17:27
Tom FD, yep I've been wondering the same for a while. Forget the diversions and ruthlessly forge our own agenda on the issues people are interested in.
Posted by: Matt Wright | December 19, 2008 at 20:08
I am absolutely amazed that power for the sake of power as a central core of New Labour policy should be seen as astonishing. Labour Ministers gave been saying this openly for years.
Posted by: snegchui | December 19, 2008 at 20:42
The actions of New Labour since 1997 should make us question whether convention is a sufficient constraint on HMG. In this case, I suggest there should be a legal right for HM Opposition to have access to the civil service x-many months before an election has to be called.
Posted by: Dave B | December 19, 2008 at 21:29
Dave B, personally, I think the problem with putting laws in place with respect to government (on any matter) is that people then go right up to the letter of the law and use that compliance as a defence against all objections.
An expectation of self-enforced integrity is the least we should have of MP's - particularly as (in practice) we have no sanction -- and if we did it would be open misuse/abuse...
On the main theme - it is not the government who should have concerns about info being leaked -- it is the conservatives who should be concerned about their plans being fed back to brown, ripe for the stealing...
Posted by: pp | December 19, 2008 at 21:57
We should use this to big up the February election talk. By hyping it, we can play the bottler card again once the polls turn sour amid the New Year hangover.
Posted by: Cleethorpes Rock | December 19, 2008 at 22:46
Cleethorpes, that seems a little disingenuous! Let Labour spin its own fake elections, if it's the Tories stoking the flames like that it could blow up in their own faces this time.
Posted by: Tom FD | December 20, 2008 at 11:09