John Rentoul

John Rentoul is chief political commentator for The Independent on Sunday, and visiting fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, where he teaches contemporary history. Previously he was chief leader writer for The Independent. He has written a biography of Tony Blair, whom he admired more at the end of his time in office than he did at the beginning.

You can contact John in the comments area or email him at j.rentoul@independent.co.uk

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The Treasury mole myth

Posted by John Rentoul

Tuesday, 2 December 2008 at 10:53 am

Rachel Sylvester's column today is as sharp as ever, although my sympathy for ministers and civil servants who have to spend time answering Freedom of Information questions is limited. But in discussing the wider implications of the Damian Green business, she does perpetuate the myth of the Treasury mole.

Some believe there is also a Civil Service mole in the Treasury, after the early publication of parts of the Pre-Budget Report.

This was a rumour that had been around for a while, which flared up in the early minutes of the Damian Green story breaking, and it will not go away.

There may be several moles in the Treasury, but they were not responsible for leaking the PBR. The two elements that were reported in advance were the temporary VAT cut and the plan for a 45p rate of income tax on higher incomes in 2011. The first came about by a process of deduction: it was an obvious choice, and when Treasury officials failed to rule it out, journalists, including my colleagues Jane Merrick and Brian Brady, wrote it. The second I am almost certain was a political leak, probably the result of the human tendency to be unable to keep information to oneself.

No civil servant claiming that this was information that it was "important for the public to know" there.