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Mr. Baker: For the record, I make it clear that I am in no way impugning the civil service; I was talking about the special advisers.
Mr. Kilfoyle: I accept that the hon. Gentleman made no direct imputation that the civil service was somehow weak or vacillating, but the thrust of his argument that there are certain special advisers and, indeed, elected politicians who ride roughshod over the service does not do sufficient credit to its professionalism and the fact that its members would respond dutifully according to their own code of conduct. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman seriously misunderstands that they appreciate that they have a very different role from that of the special advisers, which is especially so in the case of the job that the chief press secretary has.
I found some of the hon. Gentleman's charges a bit rich--he said that, somehow, the Government's message was being distorted and that we were not being wholly truthful about the way in which the press machines operates, whether in No. 10 or elsewhere--given that he represents a party renowned for the use of, for example, the focus leaflet. That leaflet is famous for its mixture of half-truths, innuendo and downright lies--it is a Heinz 57 variety of politics. A different version of that leaflet is appearing for different councils in different parts of the country, so we shall take no lectures from the hon. Gentleman or his party.
I submit that the No. 10 press office is performing a function that is key to success of the Government's communications strategy. It is working well--excellently, in fact. Nothing that we have heard today suggests otherwise. Indeed, the fact that some Opposition Members are reduced to attacking us on this matter rather than on any serious policy issue confirms just how well theNo. 10 press office is performing that task.
Question put and agreed to.
24 Apr 1998 : Column 1159Adjourned accordingly at eight minutes past Three o'clock.
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