Civil service heads attack Meyer over memoirs

Saturday, 12 November 2005 12:00 AM

Two former civil service chiefs have criticised Britain's former ambassador to Washington over his revealing memoirs.

Former cabinet secretary Lord Armstrong, who led the civil service under Margaret Thatcher, said: "He has in my view breached the trust which should exist between civil servants and ministers and between ministers and civil servants."

Armstrong's successor, Lord Butler, said the book, DC Confidential, had damaged the relationship between ministers and officials.

"For civil servants there has to be 'self-denying-ordinance' - you can't cover this by rules - I just think that it's an obligation of the profession and in the interests of the profession that you maintain these confidences," he told The Week in Westminster.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has accused Christopher Meyer of a "completely unacceptable" breach of trust and Lord Heseltine told BBC News that the former ambassador should resign as chairman of the Press Complaints Commission.

Meyer's book accused Blair of being dazzled by US power, labelled senior Cabinet ministers "political pygmies" and revealed personal information about Sir John Major, for whom Meyer was press secretary.

Sir Christopher has not commented on the outcry but will be questioned by a select committee next month.

Civil servants have traditionally maintained confidentiality regarding their dealings with ministers.

Tags: