Downing Street Says

Asked why the Prime Minister had not realised that the Chancellor was being briefed against and asked what he was doing now to make sure he was aware of all future briefings, the PMS said that the Prime Minister said in an interview this morning that he had no involvement in, nor did he authorise, any briefing against either the Chancellor or any other member of the Government. The Prime Minister expected the highest standards of conduct from anyone who worked for him and if there was any evidence of that conduct falling below certain standards then action had been taken.

Asked if the Prime Minister had put out a memo to ask colleagues not to brief against Cabinet colleagues, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had said this morning that there was a family culture in No 10 and his expectation was that people worked closely together, during demanding times. The email sent round from Jeremy Heywood yesterday, reminded people that in any organisation you had to have processes in place if people felt that behaviour was not up to acceptable standards. The Prime Minister personally felt very strongly about this issue; he understood the pressures people at No 10 were under, but he also knew that it was important that people upheld standards of behaviour.

Asked about the fact that Jeremy Heywood had dinner with Andrew Rawnsley, the PMS said that any senior civil servant who accepted hospitality from someone outside No 10 should register it, and Jeremy Heywood had done that. It was not unusual for a senior civil servant like Jeremy Heywood to meet with opinion formers or stakeholders. Jeremy Heywood did not speak to Mr Rawnsley about the Prime Minister’s working style or behaviour, but the role he played in helping the UK through the international financial crisis in 2008.

Asked if the Prime Minister accepted that the briefing against the Chancellor did actually happen, the PMS said that the important point was that the Prime Minister did not authorise briefing against the Chancellor or any one else.

Asked if the Prime Minister was astonished to hear that Damian McBride could have been briefing against the Chancellor, the PMS said that Mr McBride was asked to resign.

Asked if the Chancellor had raised any concerns with the Prime Minister regarding being briefed against, the PMS said he was not aware of that happening. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor went back more than twenty years; they were friends and colleagues. It was absurd to suggest that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor had anything other than a strong working relationship.

Asked if the Cabinet Secretary had spoken to the Prime Minister about conduct in No 10, the PMS said that the Cabinet Secretary had said that he did not give the Prime Minister a verbal warning and had never talked to him about allegations of bullying or intimidatory behaviour.

Asked if the Prime Minister was aware that his aides were briefing against the Chancellor, the PMS said that the Prime Minister did not and would not ever authorise anyone to brief against the Chancellor or any other Cabinet member.

Asked when the Prime Minister became aware that the Chancellor had been briefed against, the PMS said that the Prime Minister was aware this morning that the Chancellor made some comments during an interview last night. Today was business as usual and the Prime Minister and Chancellor were getting on with the job.

Put that the Prime Minister had lost control of his family at No 10, the PMS said that the Prime Minister expected the highest standards from his staff and where those standards slipped, he had been seen to take action. The Prime Minister ran a tight and effective ship and he was focussed on getting on with Government business.

Asked if the Prime Minister had a view on the timing of the Chancellor’s remarks, the PMS said that there were no conclusions to be drawn from the timing.

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» Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Briefing

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