Labour calls for investigation into briefing against Loughton |

Tuesday 22nd January 2013 | 13:28

Labour calls for investigation into briefing against Loughton

Chris Wormald

Permanent Secretary

Department for Education

Sanctuary Buildings

Great Smith Street

London SW1P 3BT

22 January 2013

Dear Chris,

Last week, in testimony to the Education Select Committee, Tim Loughton MP, the former Minister of State for Children said that the children and families agenda was a “declining priority” of the Department for Education.

In response, a senior Department of Education official was quoted on the Spectator website as follows:

“Loughton was a lazy incompetent narcissist obsessed only with self-promotion.”
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/01/loughton-vs-dfe/

You will be aware that both special advisers and civil servants are bound by a code of conduct, which precludes them from making personal attacks:

“The highest standards of conduct are expected of special advisers and, specifically, the preparation or dissemination of inappropriate material or personal attacks has no part to play in the job of being a special adviser as it has no part to play in the conduct of public life. Any special adviser ever found to be disseminating inappropriate material will automatically be dismissed by their appointing Minister.”

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/special-advisers-code-of-conduct.pdf

I raised this matter in Parliament yesterday during Education Questions, asking the Secretary of State to investigate a breach of the code of conduct. However, the Secretary of State did not respond on this matter.

I would therefore ask if you would begin an investigation to determine if a breach of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers or the Civil Service Management Code has occurred and take any necessary disciplinary action.

Yours sincerely,