Downing Street Says » Lord Turnbull

Asked whether Lord Turnbull should apologise for comparing Gordon Brown to Stalin, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister had made his admiration for the Chancellor’s record as Chancellor very clear yesterday. In terms of who had said what, in the interests of good government, it was a wise rule that said that civil servants should not become the story.

Asked if we thought that there was a principle for civil servants that once they left Government, they behaved and acted in a certain manner, the PMOS said that there were good reasons for rules that said that civil servants did not air their views in public. Those good reasons were so that Ministers could have confidence in the confidentiality of their discussions. That was the accepted convention, and it was a wise one.

Asked if Lord Turnbull had suggested to the Prime Minister before he retired, that he (Lord Turnbull) would be a good person to undertake a review of nuclear energy, the PMOS said that he was not aware of any such discussion, and even if there had been one, it would be part of the confidential nature of the discussion not to reveal it.

Asked if the Prime Minister shared concerns about Gordon Brown’s character, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had expressed his view better than the PMOS yesterday.

Asked if there was a view about what might lie behind this, i.e. other senior civil servants were either "telling it like it was" or that they had some bitterness at the way they perceived they had been treated, the PMOS replied that Lord Turnbull knew what he meant; the PMOS said that he did not, and therefore, he was not going to speculate.

Asked if the Prime Minister agreed with Lord Turnbull, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister’s view of the Chancellor was set out yesterday. End of story.

Put to the PMOS that perhaps, for clarity’s sake, the Prime Minister could "find it within himself" to back Gordon Brown as his successor, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister had said all he was going to say on the subject for the moment. The PMOS added that he was sure that the Prime Minister would be very grateful for the journalist’s invitation, and he said he would pass it on.

Asked if the Prime Minister had a similar regard of admiration for Lord Turnbull’s work as Cabinet Secretary as he did for the Chancellor, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister made clear his view of Lord Turnbull’s work when Lord Turnbull retired.

Put that Sir Stephen Wall had now given an interview saying similar things to Lord Turnbull, and did we deplore people who did that, the PMOS replied that he had stated what we believed the convention was, and why we believed that it was important. The PMOS went on to say as he had not seen Sir Stephen Wall’s alleged comments, he would not comment on them.

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» Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Lord Turnbull

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