Ministers move to block ‘extremist’ speakers – and government critics – from civil service events

Ministers have ordered civil servants to vet the social media accounts of potential guest speakers at a Government ministry to prevent ‘extremist’ speakers being invited to address staff.

New Cabinet Office rules demand that social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn be searched for ‘problematic or controversial material’ in the past five years.

The changes demanded by Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg were deemed ‘sensible’ by allies, designed to block people with histories of racist and similar behaviour.

One told the Financial Times: ‘There have been far too many examples recently where essentially extremist speakers have been invited to speak to civil servants and staff networks.’

But questions have been raised over guidance which says that vetting should be ‘mindful’ of speakers’ ‘criticism of government officials or policy’, or ‘a strong political partiality’, alongside issues that could bring the service into disrepute.

The Cabinet Office said the new rules would ‘ensure there is a proper process for inviting speakers to talk to civil servants in the Cabinet Office, as the public rightly expects’.

A spokesman added:  ‘We take a zero tolerance approach to discriminatory behaviour and this process will help prevent anyone with a history of such comments from being invited.’ 

But Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: ‘Important due diligence rules are being misused to provide a draconian excuse to block critics of government policy from even setting foot in Whitehall buildings.

‘Instead of seeking to silence entirely legitimate criticism of their litany of failures, Ministers could do with listening to experts a little more and burying their heads in the sand a little less. 

‘By listening they might learn something about addressing the dysfunction that has set in at the heart of this Conservative government.’