Been listening to the BBC reports on the letter from the FTSE businessmen concerning Brexit…..now Justin Webb did a good job this morning on the Today programme (08:30) but BBC news did the usual chop, change and edit and reduced things to the usual soundbites that give an entirely false impression of events….and despite Lord Digby-Jones giving a robust statement on Wake Up To Money this morning (33 mins) saying we should leave the EU his comments weren’t broadcast in the bulletins whereas the pro-EU business peoples’ were.
What else was missing? I had no idea that the letter was actually written in No 10 by a civil servant….the BBC didn’t let on at all in the reports I heard today despite it being open knowledge yesterday. The BBC know about it because they give a small nod to it in passing buried down in this report…
For politicians supporting Britain remaining in the European Union, the blessing of business leaders is seen as a positive step.
And the list signing the pro-European letter – at least in part orchestrated by Number 10 – are certainly a hefty bunch. But a few health warnings.
Guido has got hold of a draft letter sent to FTSE 100 bosses by Downing Street business adviser Chris Hopkins yesterday, soliciting support for Dave’s deal. It was due to appear in tomorrow’s Times, but you can read it on Guido today:
From: Chris Hopkins
Sent: 21 February 2016
To: XXXXXDear Sirs
We run businesses representing every sector and region of the United Kingdom. Together we employ hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Following the Prime Minister’s renegotiation, we believe that Britain is better off staying in a reformed European Union. He has secured a commitment from the EU to reduce the burden of regulation, deepen the single market and to sign off crucial international trade deals.
Businesses like ours need unrestricted access to the European market of 500 million people in order to continue to grow, invest and create jobs. We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment and threaten jobs. It would put the economy at risk.
We believe Britain will be stronger, safer and better off remaining a member of the European Union.
Give me a call if you have any issues.
Regards,
Chris
The letter was sent around yesterday, after the new rules limiting what Leave ministers are allowed to do with public resources came into effect. No.10 are unsportingly using the taxpayer-funded civil service machine to campaign for Remain, within the rules…
Surely that is quite a revelation, never mind the use of civil servants to do what is nothing to do with the official government….IMHO the pro-EU campaign should be entirely separate from government and its resources….why is the pro-EU campaign allowed to hijack the government and adopt an ‘official government position’...and then ban those who campaign against the EU from accessing information?….The Telegraph reports that Sir Jeremy Heywood has nobbled the Brexit campaign…..
Ministers campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union have been banned by Whitehall’s most senior civil servant from accessing official documents and prevented from receiving briefings.
“It will not be appropriate or permissible for the Civil Service to support who oppose the Government’s official position by providing briefing or speech material on this matter.
“This includes access to official departmental papers, excepting papers that ministers have previously seen on issues relating to the referendum question prior to the suspension of the collective agreement.”
He adds: “Departments may check facts for such ministers on request. And civil servants should continue to support such ministers in undertaking all official government business in the usual way.”
The rules from today until May 27, when the official Whitehall purdah period begins.
Hardly a democratic referendum when the government sets itself and its propaganda machine against what maybe the majority of the People.
Might surely be worth a comment from the BBC’s finest….especially as, irony of ironies, the government insisted the BBC remain impartial…
The BBC has been warned by the government to remain impartial during the EU referendum amid Tory fears that the Corporation’s “pro-European bias” could influence the result.
I confess I was surprised with Justin Webb this morning. He was actually more aggressive towards the Remain lady than the Leave chap.
It’ll take a lot more than that to undo 30+ years of BBC EU worship.