Sir Jeremy Heywood, nicknamed 'Sir Cover-Up' has overseen a move that will ban civil servants from speaking to journalists without prior approval . A ban on civil servants talking to journalists without prior ministerial approval will ‘intimidate’ them into silence, critics said last night. The Civil Service Code has been revised, with the threat that officials could be sacked if they speak out before checking with a minister. A line has been added to the code, saying: ‘Ensure you have ministerial authorisation for any contact with the media.’ As well as raising concerns about the transparency of government, there are fears the revision could dissuade whistleblowers from coming forward – meaning scandals could go undetected. The move, which follows a similar clampdown on members of the armed forces talking to the media, has been overseen by Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Head of the Home Civil Service. He has been nicknamed ‘Sir Cover-Up’ for preventing the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War from seeing letters and records of phone calls between Tony Blair and George Bush. His influence is such that David Cameron is said to have once joked: ‘Remind me, Jeremy, do you work for me or do I work for you?’ A source at the Cabinet Office – which is in charge of the Civil Service – insisted the move was an attempt to increase ministers’ accountability of civil servants in their department. Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, promised to ensure that the right of whistleblowers would be maintained. But Dave Penman of the FDA union, which represents Whitehall officials, said the move was an ‘unnecessary, unworkable and unjustified restriction’. ‘The public has a right to open and transparent public services, yet this change now requires ministerial authorisation before a civil servant can respond or make any contact with the media – from a prosecutor being asked for comment outside of court, to a job centre manager dealing with a local news story,’ he added. ‘Guidance to regulate contact between civil servants and the media is already in place and we can see no justification for this sudden, drastic change, other than intimidating civil servants into silence … this knee-jerk decision seems to have only been made to sate unfounded and misguided ministerial mistrust.’ Mark Serwotka, of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said the ban was an attempt to ‘prevent public servants from telling the truth about government policy, by a minister who has already admitted he wants to do as much damage as possible before he steps down by making his reforms “irreversible”’. Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, promised that the right of whistleblowers would be maintained . The extension to the Civil Service Code means the Government has effectively ordered more than 400,000 people not to talk to reporters without its approval. A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said the rule ‘clarifies’ an existing requirement that civil servants must ‘clear material for publication in advance’. He added: ‘There is no change to the important rights of individuals under whistleblowing legislation which is protected by statute.’ In a letter to the FDA union, Mr Maude said he proposes to include ‘a footnote referencing the whistleblowing legislation within the revised Code’.
Ban prevents civil servants from talking to journalists without approval . Critics warned this will 'intimidate' them into silence and is 'unnecessary'
Line added to Civil Service Code says must have 'ministerial authorisation'
Move was overseen by Sir Jeremy Heywood, Head of Home Civil Service . He's nicknamed 'Sir Cover-Up' for preventing Chilcot inquiry into Iraq War .