Theresa May calls Whitehall leaks that branded Jeremy Corbyn too ‘frail’ to be PM ‘unacceptable’
THERESA May on Monday slammed civil servants for making explosive claims that Jeremy Corbyn is too old and frail at 70 to be PM.
She branded the comments “unacceptable” and said Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill will write to the Labour leader over the scandal.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “Impartiality is one of the fundamental values of the civil service and underpins its ability to effectively serve the Government of the day.
“It would clearly be inappropriate and unacceptable for comments of this sort to have been made or briefed to the press.”
Labour exploded in fury after anonymous civil servants claimed Whitehall was worried Mr Corbyn is not up to the job “physically or mentally”.
The party rubbished the claims and demanded an official leak inquiry.
In a sign of their fury, Jon Trickett, Labour‘s shadow cabinet minister, raised the issue in the House of Commons as Mr Corbyn sat next to him.
He said the Labour leader’s fitness is “legendary” and lashed their “undemocratic and unconstitutional intervention”.
He raged: “There must be no hesitation at all to condemn the kind of behaviour reported.
“I would hope the Government roots out any miscreants who have behaved in this way.”
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But Cabinet minister Amber Rudd criticised Labour for bringing up the issue before the civil service has had a chance to defend itself.
She said: “We have complete confidence in the fairness and the independence of the civil service, and they have said they will respond.
“I frankly question the good judgement of the shadow minister for bringing it up in the House at this stage before they have had the chance to do so.”
May set to walk...
THERESA May will soothe away her post-Prime Minister blues with a walking break in Italy.
She will head off with husband Philip to the spot where she has been holidaying for the past ten years, days after the new Tory leader is named.
The Mays will stay for a week at their favourite hotel in a luxury £1,000-a-night suite, which has panoramic views over Lake Garda. Extra security has been drafted in.
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