Oh dear. After a week in which senior Brexiteers accused the civil service of trying to frustrate Britain’s exit from the EU, the Sunday papers have seen the first signs of fight back. In the Observer, Andrew Turnbull, who led the civil service under Tony Blair, claims the Brexit bunch are using tactics similar to those of rightwing German nationalists between the two world wars.
Now Gus O’Donnell has appeared on Peston on Sunday to dismiss accusations that the civil service is trying to thwart Brexit. Defending the ‘honesty, objectivity integrity and impartiality’ of the civil service, the former Cabinet Secretary said the problem wasn’t with his side but with… Brexit:
‘Now of course, if you’re selling snake oil, you don’t like the idea of experts and testing your product. And I think that’s what we’ve got.’
Former Cabinet Secretary @Gus_ODonnell unimpressed by Brexiteer attacks on the civil service: "if you're selling snake oil you don’t like the experts testing your product" #Peston
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