Labour-era hires to senior civil service positions to be investigated, as government denies 'cronyism' claims
30 August 2024, 20:47
Several Labour appointments to senior civil service positions are to be investigated, with the Conservatives claiming the government is operating under a "culture of cronyism".
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Investigators within the civil service itself will probe the appointments. Labour have denied any wrongdoing.
Kate Owen, who runs the civil service commission, wrote to the heads of human resources at government departments on Friday to ask for information about appointments "by exception" to the ordinary recruitment principles.
She said that the review would form the basis of "a short, independent review" of new recruits.
Recent appointments to the senior civil service include Jess Sargeant, who previously worked for the Labour Together think tank before she took a role in the Cabinet Office, and Emily Middleton, a consultant who was named a director general in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and appears to have worked closely with Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle in the months before the election.
Ian Corfield, who has donated more than £20,000 to Labour politicians in the last decade, was made a temporary director of investment at the Treasury but it has since emerged he would work as an unpaid adviser rather than a salaried civil servant.
Nick Ferrari presses Ellie Reeves on Lord Alli's pass
Ms Owen has asked HR directors to provide her with information about all appointments made during July and August which did not need oversight from her Commission, ahead of a "short report".
She also wrote to heads of departments in a separate letter which read: "Given interest in a number of recent civil service appointments by exception and the importance of public trust in these appointments, the Commission has decided to undertake a short review of appointments by exception at delegated grades since July 1 2024 and the departmental processes in place to make such appointments under the recruitment principles."
Ms Owen began her correspondence with a reference to the law on civil service appointments, in particular that recruitment "takes place 'on merit on the basis of fair and open competition'".
There are some exceptions to the rule, according to the Civil Service Commission.
These include temporary appointments, secondments from outside the civil service of up to two years, and "highly specialist skills".
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "All civil service appointments must follow the correct rules and processes. The Civil Service Commission is independent of Government and is able to conduct regular reviews of recruitment processes, in line with their powers as set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
"We will fully support the Commission with their review."
Conservative MP John Glen, shadow paymaster general, said: “I welcome that the commission has backed our calls for a review into Labour’s crony appointments.
"As the first step, we need full transparency from the government on every 'exceptional' appointment they have made since the general election.
"Keir Starmer can no longer try to brush this under the carpet."
Starmer has faced questions about cronyism after Lord Alli was given a pass to Number 10 Downing Street, despite not having a formal job there.
He said on Tuesday: "Look, if you take Lord Alli, he's a long-term donor and contributor to the Labour Party.
"He was doing some transition work with us, he had a pass for a short-term time to do that work, and the work finished, and he hasn't got a pass. That's the state of affairs."
The Prime Minister added: "I am absolutely determined to restore honesty and integrity to Government, because I think that is core to ensuring that people appreciate that politics can be a force for good."
