Former government PR chiefs attack interference

THREE former civil service directors of information attacked the Government in evidence to the MPs' inquiry on Labour press officers.

The senior officials all left after Labour came to power and they failed to gel with their new masters. In memoranda to the committee, two complained of "creeping politicisation" and one said political advisers regularly interfered with government press releases. One described the process by which his successor was chosen as "bizarre and indefensible".

Liz Drummond, of the Scottish Office, Andy Woods, of the Northern Ireland Office, and Steve Reardon, of the Department of Social Security, all criticised New Labour's media management style.

Mr Reardon said Harriet Harman's advisers "sought to reproduce the tone of the Labour manifesto and repeat its election commitments as emerging news." He wrote: "During the four-and-a-half months that I remained director of information at the DSS the relationship between the press office and the special advisers was a difficult one ... the drafting of departmental press releases was closely scrutinised to the point of obsession by the special advisers."

Ms Drummond said there was a case for allowing ministers to bring in their own press officers, as they do in the United States. "There are strong arguments against it ... but it would have the advantage of being a more honest, open and acknowledged system instead of the creeping politicisation."

Labour's "hit-and-run tactics, moving swiftly on to the next target" in Opposition was not suitable for a government, she added. "Many press officers have privately expressed their uneasiness at being expected to switch to a more aggressive approach where seizing the agenda and occupying the front pages is apparently more important than the content."

Mr Wood said unpopular ministers were determined to blame their press officers for the bad press they received. "Killing the messenger has replaced `Hunting the Tories' as New Labour's blood sport of choice," he wrote.