Getty ImagesThe government is facing questions over the second senior appointment to a civil service post of a person linked to previous donations to the Labour Party.
Emily Middleton has been appointed director general at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), where the Secretary of State is Peter Kyle.
She was previously a partner at consultancy Public Digital, which funded her secondment to Mr Kyle’s office for more than £65,000.
The Conservatives described it as a “growing scandal of donor appointments to senior public service positions”.
A government spokesman said the appointment was made “in accordance with civil service recruitment rules”.
The Conservatives have asked the government’s most senior official what was known about the donations when Ms Middleton took her job and what role Mr Kyle played in that process.
Separately, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to say whether she was involved in the appointment of former banker and Labour donor Ian Corfield as Treasury investment director.
In opposition, Labour has repeatedly accused the Conservatives of “cronyism” in appointing their political friends to public bodies.
Downing Street has also been contacted to ask whether the prime minister authorised Ms Middleton’s appointment and whether he was aware of donations from her previous employers to the Labour Party.
According to Evidence given by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution“The Prime Minister authorises all appointments at the level of DG and above.”
In a letter sent to Mr. Case on July 26 and published Friday on XConservative Science Secretary Andrew Griffith has raised questions about the impartiality of the civil service.
He suggested that Ms Middleton’s appointment appeared to set a “new and clear precedent of a minister directly appointing to a senior civil service position someone whose employer has recently made a substantial political donation”.
Also on XConservative leadership candidate James Cleverly has described Labour’s civil service recruitment practices as “highly questionable” and referred to Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.
“It’s funny how a senior civil servant joins the Labour Party and then a bunch of Labour people get civil service appointments!” he wrote.
According to Ms Middleton’s LinkedIn profile, she worked “on secondment to the Labour Party to advise on digital public services reform” from January to July.
She was previously seconded to Labour Together, a think tank close to Sir Keir.
Her new position at DSIT is as General Manager of Digital Center Design.
Chief executives are among the most senior ranks in the civil service, earning between £125,000 and £208,100 a year.
In the cases of Ms Middleton and Mr Corfield, some Conservatives have questioned whether the Public Service Commission (CSC), which regulates appointments, was aware of previous donations to Labour figures.
But the commission told the BBC that this would not be an issue it would consider.
“Exceptions”
“It is up to the (government) department to consider the relevance and background checks,” a spokesperson said.
“Exceptions” to the normal appointment process have been granted more than 100 times in the last 12 months and may apply where external candidates are involved.
In these circumstances, the CSC is focusing on the “business case,” the spokesperson said.
They previously told the BBC: “All exceptionally appointed candidates are reminded of their responsibilities under the Civil Service Code, which is to act with impartiality, objectivity, integrity and honesty.”
There is no rule that automatically prevents a person from being appointed to a public office because of a political donation.
The recruitment principles state that the selection committee must be satisfied that the candidate “understands the requirement to act objectively and impartially… and must record how this has been done”.
According to the Ministerial CodeMinisters “must ensure that no conflict arises, or can reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.”
“It is for each Minister to decide for himself whether and how action is necessary to avoid conflict or the perception of conflict, taking into account the advice received from his Permanent Secretary and the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests.”
