Chris Bryant: Defence minister broke code
Labour MP Chris Bryant has reported Defence Minister Andrew Robathan to Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell, alleging he broke the ministerial code.
Bryant said on Twitter last night that Robathan broke the code:
By briefing the Daily Telegraph before the House of Commons – and then pretending he hadn’t even though DT quoted him.
The issue relates to the Daily Telegraph publishing an exclusive on 14th May that ministers were planning to put the military covenant on the statute books.
The Defence ecretary Liam Fox eventually made a statement to the House of Commons on 16th May announcing the plans.
Chris Bryant raised the issue in the Commons, accusing Robathan of giving “on the record” quotations to The Daily Telegraph before announcing the policy to the Chamber.
Robathan denied the charge, claiming, “[Chris Bryant MP] will discover that what he has said is not in fact in any way correct”.
But Bryant returned back to the Daily Telegraph article, pointing out that it clearly referred to Andrew Robathan by name.
Did Robathan not realise he was quoted in the article?
Chris Bryant said last night that Robathan had misled the House of Commons by denying he had briefed the Daily Telegraph in advance.
He has now written to the Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell with the allegation that Andrew Robathan MP has broken the ministerial code.
He is not alone either. Conservative minister Chris Grayling has been referred twice for politicised press releases regarding welfare cuts.
---------------------------
| Tweet |
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by Sunny Hundal
Story Filed Under: News
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Reader comments
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Chris Bryant MP says Defence minister broke code http://bit.ly/lxDp3G
- sunny hundal
Labour's @ChrisBryantMP says defence minister has broken ministerial code, and reported him to Cabinet Sec: http://bit.ly/lxDp3G
- Woodo
Labour's @ChrisBryantMP says defence minister has broken ministerial code, and reported him to Cabinet Sec: http://bit.ly/lxDp3G
- Pucci Dellanno
Chris Bryant MP says Defence minister broke code http://bit.ly/lxDp3G
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» Do older people really need more NHS healthcare?
» There are alternatives to the reckless ‘Plan A’
» On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people
» Why Cameron’s claim of 600,000 jobs created is plainly wrong
» By using age to allocate NHS funding, Lansley rewards Tory voters
» The rise in domestic violence deaths is not an “isolated” problem
» Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right
» The US is now a model for the Eurozone to save itself
» The IMF plan to revive the economy doesn’t go far enough
» The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think
» Nine things you can do to halt Lansley’s destruction of our NHS
|
48 Comments 92 Comments 23 Comments 50 Comments 10 Comments 26 Comments 23 Comments 69 Comments 44 Comments 25 Comments |
LATEST COMMENTS » Chaise Guevara posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » Chaise Guevara posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » Trooper Thompson posted on Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan » Robin Hood: backed by the rich, backed by the rest, says new poll | ToUChstone blog: A public policy blog from the TUC posted on Poll: banks not paying fair share for crisis » Colin Hall posted on Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right » re posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » steveb posted on Do older people really need more NHS healthcare? » So Much For Subtlety posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » Paul posted on Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan » Conby posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » Jim posted on How Newsnight demonised a single mother » So Much For Subtlety posted on Do older people really need more NHS healthcare? » JC posted on Why Cameron's claim of 600,000 jobs created is plainly wrong » pagar posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » So Much For Subtlety posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' |










