NEW: Fmr Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir David Normington tells me today is a "serious moment". Says we've always relied on a sitting PM to sanction breaches of the ministerial code. Says if that's no longer the case system needs reform and the Cabinet Sec should be worried.
David Normington: "We have always relied on the ministerial code being upheld by the Prime Minister of the day. If he's not willing to do that then it is right that we should question the system. The system does make the Prime Minister judge and jury...."
"But in the past PMs have always acted when there has been a breach of the ministerial code and that is why in a sense this is a much more serious moment than previous ones because the PM seems to have gone against what would've happened in the past and..."
"that does mean that you wonder what the value of the ministerial code is."
Normington served under five Home Secretaries.
Normington served under five Home Secretaries.
More on tonight's Newsnight, make sure you're watching, 1045pm BBC2.
No excuse as the pubs are still closed.
No excuse as the pubs are still closed.
Home Offices sources maintain that that there has been no breach of the code, because the PM is the ultimate arbiter of that and he doesn't believe there has been.
Of course, this is the potential tension Sir David Normington is referring to in his remarks to me.
Of course, this is the potential tension Sir David Normington is referring to in his remarks to me.
Normington clip below 👇👇👇
https://twitter.com/bbcnewsnight/status/1329909578297913345
David Omand echoing what Normington told me on Friday
https://twitter.com/louisdegenhardt/status/1330247896327917579
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