CAB129-35 — Page 224

38.

104

Home Office :-

Officers Pon the partner are required to act discreeage AL Moer366 which their conduct may become the subject of public criticism. They may not take a prominent part in party politics or in any public discussions with regard to the public conduct of Ministers or the policy of the Government."

Central Office of Information :-

"An officer of the Ministry may not take a prominent party in party politics or in any public discussion with regard to the public conduct of Ministers or the policy of the Government."

Board of Inland Revenue :-

66

No serving officer of the Department ... may become a Parliamentary candi- date, nor may he publicly support the candidature of any person standing for election to Parliament. Officers stationed in the provinces are under a special obligation to abstain from taking an active part in public matters of a contentious character.”

Ministry of Labour and National Service :-

22

"A civil servant is also expected to refrain from taking any prominent part in politics, and to maintain a proper reticence in discussing public affairs, particularly those with which his own Department is concerned."

Post Office :-

"(a) Officers of the Post Office are eligible to be placed on the Parliamentary Register, and to vote at a Parliamentary Election. Nevertheless, it is expected of them as Public Servants that they will at all times maintain a certain reserve in political matters, and not put themselves forward on one side or the other. (For Sub- Postmasters only: This is especially the case with Sub-Postmasters, whose study it should be to retain the confidence of their neighbours and carefully to avoid doing anything that may lend colour to the suggestion that in the discharge of their official duties they are influenced by political or party motives.")

(b) In pursuance of this general principle the following regulations have been laid down:

(i) No officer shall serve on a Committee having for its object to promote or prevent the return of a particular candidate to Parliament or to promote the interests of a political party.

(ii) No officer shall support or oppose any particular candidate or party at

any time either by public speaking or writing.

(iii) No notice soliciting votes for any particular candidate shall be exhibited either within or without any Post Office or other buildings under the control of the Department; and within such buildings no memorial or address with a party object shall lie for signature or be exhibited.

(iv) Any officer who observes that a mail cart has affixed to it a placard soliciting votes for a particular candidate should report the fact without delay.

(v) No officer shall, when in uniform, take part in any demonstration of a

political or party character.

(c) These regulations are not regarded as necessarily precluding Post Office Servants from undertaking canvassing work at Election times when they are not on duty and are not in uniform. It is, however, obvious that in the case of certain of the more responsible grades, active canvassing would be incompatible with their official posi- tion, and whilst the Postmaster General prefers to leave this question to the discretion and good sense of the staff, he must reserve to himself the right to specify certain grades the members of which may be forbidden to undertake political canvassing."

Ministry of Works :--

"Officers of the Ministry are required to act discreetly in all matters in which their conduct may become the subject of public criticism. They may not take a prominent part in party politics or in any public discussion with regard to the public conduct of Ministers or the policy of the Government.”

War Office:-

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An official will not engage in any activity which would in any way tend to impair his usefulness as a public servant or which might conflict with the interests of the Department or be inconsistent with his position as a public servant.”

The Air Ministry has an identical rule, and the regulation has also been adopted by the Ministry of Supply.