A Labour MP has raised concerns that Boris Johnson's planned ad campaign for no-deal Brexit would break the law.
Mary Creagh said the advertising blitz was "Tory propaganda" and that a lawyer had told her it would breach purdah rules which stop public money being spent to influence the outcome of an election.
Ms Creagh said: "After consulting lawyers, I have written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill demanding that he stop the Govt’s Get Ready for Brexit campaign.
"It’s Tory party propaganda, funded by the taxpayer. It break election purdah rules and the Civil service code."
In a letter to Civil Service chief Sir Mark Sedwill she claimed: “The Conservative party will use the Get Ready for Brexit campaign during any general election to support their party position.”
A number No. 10 source told Politico: “The PM has already made clear to senior officials that if he is forced into an election by rebels purdah rules will have no application to no-deal planning. People have forgotten that purdah is a convention, not law, and the law is we are leaving on October 31.”
Breaking purdah rules technically constitutes a breach of section two of the Local Government Act.
Today the Prime Minister's spokesman insisted: Governments always abide by purdah rules. We would abide by the convention of purdah, yes".
However government insiders insist purdah would not be ignored but the ads are non-partisan and meant as a public service to help citizens prepare for Brexit so wouldn't fall under the rules.
