Civil service boss promises 'independent element' to probe into Jeremy Corbyn health smears
2 min read
Whitehall's top civil servant has agreed there should be an "independent element" to an investigation into senior officials briefing against Jeremy Corbyn.
Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, made the concessions following "frank" talks with the opposition leader.
Labour reacted furiously to a report on the front page of The Times last Saturday which quoted senior civil servants claiming Mr Corbyn was too "frail" to become Prime Minister and was losing his memory.
Sir Mark ordered a Cabinet Office probe into the row, but Labour said the civil service must not be allowed to "mark their own homework" and called for an independent inquiry.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "What's taken place is clearly not only entirely unacceptable but unprecedented in recent times. We have clear evidence of senior civil servants briefing against the elected leader of the opposition.
"Not only briefing against him, but also briefing on the basis of false information, namely that he is ill or impaired. We are talking about a very clear breach of civil service neutrality."
Mr Corbyn, shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett and Sir Mark held "frank and detailed" talks in the Labour leader's office on Wednesday.
Afterwards, a Labour spokesperson said: "The seriousness of the civil service breach and the evident malicious intent behind it was acknowledged by all participants in the meeting.
"Jeremy Corbyn and Jon Trickett pressed the case for a fully independent investigation to restore trust and confidence in the civil service.
"They were promised an independent element to the civil service investigation, that they will receive regular updates on its progress and that it would report as soon as possible.
"They made clear the credibility of the investigation will be assessed on the basis of its results."
Mr Corbyn's spokesman said Labour's "radical" agenda had made the party's leader a target for the establishment.
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