It’s a turbulent time for the Western world, but Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government doesn’t seem to be taking things all that seriously. At least, not where its National Security Adviser is concerned. Jonathan Powell, Starmer’s lineman on the Chagos deal, is apparently banned from speaking to the national security committee on the grounds he is a special adviser – yet it was the government who appointed him to the role in full understanding of the rules. So much for all that talk of transparency.
Labour has rejected a request for Powell to attend a forthcoming evidence session – titled ‘The Role of the National Security Adviser’ – despite it being the case that every other NSA has appeared in front of the group. Instead, Sir Keir’s spinners claim in a letter to the committee that the Deputy National Security Advisers will take his place. The government did, however, generously extend the invitation of a private meeting with Powell instead. Not like there’s much public concern about security currently, eh?
The rather miffed committee unsurprisingly doesn’t think much of that. It provided ministers with a cutting response, declaring it was ‘unanimous’ in its opinion that Powell should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny – even if the Labour lot prefer otherwise. The missive noted pointedly:
Your letter states ‘longstanding practice is that the special advisers currently in post do not give evidence to select committees’. The government’s own Ostmotherly Rules state: “When a select committee indicates that it wishes to take evidence from any particular named official, including special advisers, the presumption is that ministers will seek to agree such a request.’
Is Jonathan running scared of a little scrutiny? Perhaps ‘insecurity adviser’ might be a better title…
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