Labour questions impartiality of Whitehall advisers

Labour has picked a new fight in its troubled relationship with business by querying the integrity of some of Whitehall's "government non-executives".

Chuka Umunna, shadow business secretary, raised questions about the impartiality of the business figures brought in by the coalition since 2010 to inject more corporate discipline into the public sector.

Some of the recent appointments had been "party political gifts", he told the Financial Times.

The comments come after more than 100 corporate figures last week signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph suggesting a Labour victory in the general election would threaten Britain's economic recovery.

That letter eventually reached 120 signatories - although one of them, Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca, asked to remove his name because he did not want to endorse any political party. <

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Labour retaliated by criticising the signatories, accusing many of them of being Tory donors. "These businessmen must be living in a parallel universe," former leader Lord Kinnock said at a private event.

Mr Umunna said Labour was looking at improving the way non-execs were recruited to ensure the appointments were more objective and independent.

"Some of the appointments have the appearance of being party political appointments," he said. "There is a risk that there is politicisation - that has happened in some cases."

Lucy Powell, shadow Cabinet Office minister, also raised questions about the non-executives. "I feel like some of these appointments have been political appointments," she said in an interview last month with the FT. "I think that diminishes what the value of those roles should be."

Business people with "strong political affiliations" should not be taking up the roles, she said.

The non-executive scheme was central to the coalition government's ambition to inject more business discipline into Whitehall. Francis Maude, the cabinet office minister, created the roles in 2010 as part of changes intended to bring in new skills and help find cost savings in an era of austerity.

Lord Browne, former head of BP, took on the role of "lead non-executive" overseeing the work of the others.

However, civil servants at times struggled to incorporate the external figures into Whitehall. In 2012 Lord Browne told MPs that he would give the system of departmental boards, on which the non-executives sit alongside civil servants and ministers two out of 10.

Towards the end of this tenure, he was more positive about their achievements, awarding the system just over six out of 10.

The coalition always insisted that the roles must be non-party political and that figures were picked on their talents alone.

Sir Ian Cheshire, former chief executive of DIY group Kingfisher - who was given a knighthood by prime minister David Cameron in 2013 - was recently appointed as lead non-executive, replacing Lord Browne.

But asked if Sir Ian was among the "political" appointments she was criticising, Ms Powell replied: "Possibly."

Mr Cheshire said Ed Miliband had been consulted ahead of his appointment and gave clearance for him to take up the post. Mr Cheshire did not put his name to the letter published in the Daily Telegraph last week.

A Conservative aide dismissed the complaints as evidence of Labour's anti-business stance.

"We should have people with outside business experience in Whitehall," he said. "Ed Miliband has never had a proper job. He might need these people if he ever gets into power."

Ms Powell said the non-execs could play an important role in improving how government works. "But I think they absolutely shouldn't be political appointments, nor be seen to be political appointments."

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