The Treasury refused to give any details about Newton’s employment situation.
Jack Worlidge, a senior researcher at the Institute for Government think tank, said the case “exposes clear gaps in the rules.”
“The Commission’s recruitment principles are silent on the use of the exceptions process to appoint politically aligned candidates, as well as on the involvement of ministers in exceptional appointments,” he went on. “The Commission also plays no role in considering the propriety of appointments.
“During the election campaign Labour repeatedly emphasized its credentials around propriety and ethics. It will be interesting to see if the new Ethics and Integrity Commission closes some of these gaps.”
Worlidge added: “The rules don’t explicitly prohibit bringing in politically aligned individuals. But if someone is being brought in for political expertise, they should be appointed as a SpAd [special advisor.]
“Exceptions to the recruitment principles are for exceptional cases and can be a useful way of bringing in external talent. But failing to run a fair and open competition comes with challenges — including for the individual appointed — and is a route that should only be used rarely.”
A government spokesperson said: “As you would expect, we do not comment on individual staffing appointments.
“Any appointments are made in line with the civil service rules on recruitment.”
