Starmer’s New Top Adviser Condemns Disappearing Messages, While Starmer Himself Uses Them

Harriet Harman, recently appointed as a top adviser to Sir Keir Starmer, has openly criticised the use of disappearing messages by government officials, questioning why anyone would use them “unless you’ve got something to hide.” This comes as Starmer himself has been confirmed to use disappearing WhatsApp messages.

Harman’s Strong Stance on Accountability

Speaking on the Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harriet Harman expressed deep suspicion regarding disappearing messages. She stated, as reported by Guido Fawkes, “Well, I’m just a bit suspicious about disappearing messages because the question is in my mind, ‘why do you put disappearing messages on?'”

Harman, who joined Downing Street last month to help stabilise Starmer’s government, went further, questioning the motives behind such practices. “Why would you disappear the message unless you’ve got something to hide?” she asked, adding that if she “had my way, they would not have disappearing messages.”

Starmer’s Own Use of Disappearing Messages

Despite his new adviser’s strong condemnation, Sir Keir Starmer has been confirmed to have disappearing WhatsApp messages enabled, according to Guido Fawkes. This revelation brings his practices into direct conflict with the principles of accountability and transparency advocated by Harman.

Harman insisted that government ministers should be “accountable for those and those ought to be available to be put in the public domain, to be in the public records, to be subject to freedom of information.” Her comments highlight a potential hypocrisy at the heart of the Labour government’s approach to official communications.

What This Means for Britain

This situation raises serious questions about transparency and accountability within the Labour government, directly impacting public trust in official communications.

For ordinary British people, it fuels concerns that politicians may be attempting to avoid scrutiny or hide information from the public record.

The use of disappearing messages by senior figures like Starmer could undermine the ability of Freedom of Information requests to properly scrutinise government decisions and actions.

This discrepancy between a key adviser’s public stance and the Prime Minister’s private practice suggests a potential double standard within the government.

It could lead to further calls for clear, enforceable rules on digital communications for all government officials to ensure full public accountability.

Ultimately, this issue touches on the core principle of whether the government is truly committed to open governance or if it prefers to operate in the shadows.

Share if you believe all government communications should be transparent and accountable.

This article is a factual summary of reporting by Guido Fawkes. Full original story available on their website. All quotes directly attributed.

Source: Guido Fawkes | Breaking Brexit News