In a riveting revelation, the erstwhile chief of the Foreign Office, Lord McDonald, confessed to having openly expressed to his ministers and associates his decision to vote in favour of staying in the European Union post-Brexit. This admission, in direct contradiction to standard protocol as outlined by the civil service code, expects officials to maintain a staunch posture of impartiality.
Elaborating on his maverick decision in the BBC documentary series, State of Chaos, he stated, “I chose to declare my vote on this solitary occasion, confessing to my colleagues and by extension ministers, of how I favoured the European Union by voting to remain in it.”
Pressed further on his reasons for shunning the usual conventions, Lord McDonald, the presiding authority of the Foreign Office from the period of 2015-2020, admitted it was because he believed they would presume his stance anyway. Hence he decided to fully own it.
Ordinarily, the civil service code that serves as a guide for official conduct necessitates that staff proffer impartial advice to ministers devoid of revealing their own political leanings. According to Lord McDonald, there was a tangible air of sadness, with employees shedding tears at the Foreign Office on the morning following the referendum result.
By unveiling his vote, Lord McDonald shares that his intent was to highlight to a group, who in his opinion, most likely voted in favour of staying in the EU, that their personal sentiments had no bearing on the matter.
However, this audacious step was met with discomfort on the part of the Foreign Office board, who considered it an unusual and rare move.
In a surprising first-ever interview as part of the same documentary, the former deputy Cabinet secretary, Helen MacNamara opined on Lord McDonald’s decision with a sense of bewildered disbelief, failing to comprehend how such a move could be beneficial or constructive.
While it is anticipated that Lord McDonald’s comments may provoke ire amongst Conservative Brexiteers, who have continually blamed high-ranking civil servants for thwarting progress in the process of leaving the EU; Philip Hammond, former Chancellor, denied any attempts by the Treasury to obstruct Brexit. However, he did concede that the Treasury was indeed pushing for a softer Brexit, stating that they saw no reason to be remorseful about the same.
The first instalment of this gripping three-part series tracing events from 2016 to 2022 also records an admission from the former Deputy Prime Minister David Lidington. He disclosed, for the first time, about an internal dialogue of possibly succeeding Theresa May as Prime Minister and introducing a second referendum.
