Westminster ’ s Public Administration Committee said the country ’ s top mandarin , Sir Jeremy Heywood ( pictured ) , had been ‘ wrong in law ’ during a row over two of Theresa May ’ s Special Advisers . Sir Jeremy Heywood was given a humiliating rebuke by MPs yesterday for clearing taxpayer-funded advisers to take part in political campaigning . Westminster ’ s Public Administration Committee said the country ’ s top mandarin had been ‘ wrong in law ’ during a row over two of Theresa May ’ s Special Advisers . It is another blow to the reputation of the Cabinet Secretary – who is known as Sir Cover Up for trying to block the publication of letters related to the Iraq War . Nick Timothy and Stephen Parkinson , two of the Home Secretary ’ s closest aides , refused an order from Tory HQ to take part in telephone canvassing during last year ’ s Rochester by-election . The pair said it was a breach of the special adviser 's code , which says that - as public servants - they should not conduct canvassing in by-election campaigns and are required to resign their posts if they wish to do so . Number Ten and Tory HQ disagreed – suspending both men from the list of candidates at the forthcoming General Election as a punishment . To justify the decision , Number Ten relied upon advice from Sir Jeremy , who wields enormous power inside Government . He controversially ruled it was acceptable for special advisers to take part in ‘ backroom support ’ activities in their private time and telephone canvassing fell into this category . But that interpretation has now been flatly rejected by the public administration committee . The committee said : ‘ Any direction to a Special Adviser to conduct telephone canvassing was misguided , and that advice that such a direction or such canvassing was permitted under their Code and contract of employment was wrong in law . ‘ We recommend that Special Advisers should never again be confronted with directions or informal pressure that puts them in breach of the Code and of their contracts of employment. ’ The Speaker ’ s Counsel , Michael Carpenter , told MPs he had been ‘ unpersuaded ’ by Sir Jeremy ’ s arguments . Mr Carpenter said that , far from being a backroom activity , telephone canvassing involved taking part in a political debate with members of the public . Mr Timothy and Mr Parkinson are now expected to apply to be re-instated to the candidates list after the election . Sources said they appeared to have a ‘ slam dunk case ’ to get their suspension lifted . Labour deputy chairman Jon Ashworth said : ‘ The Parliamentary Authorities have delivered a damning assessment of the Number 10 operation , and we now need to know which Ministers were complicit in issuing this ‘ misguided ’ advice . Sir Jeremy controversially ruled it was acceptable for special advisers to take part in ‘ backroom support ’ activities in their private time and telephone canvassing fell into this category . Pictured : Theresa May . ‘ Given the proximity of the election campaign , we need a formal government response today which outlines how Number 10 will ensure no rules will be broken over the role played by Special Advisers. ’ At the time , the decision to remove the advisers from the candidates list was widely seen as the latest episode in a long-running feud between Downing Street and the Home Office . Tensions have repeatedly flared amid fevered speculation over Mrs May ’ s own leadership ambitions . Polls have shown she is the activists ’ favourite to succeed the Prime Minister . Another of the Home Secretary ’ s advisers , Fiona Cunningham , was forced to quit last summer after clashing with Michael Gove over extremism in schools . Last week , Sir Jeremy came under fire over new rules which ban the country ’ s 430,000 civil servants from talking to journalists without ministerial approval . He approved the order at the request of Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude . Yesterday , the Mail told how the move was opposed by London Mayor Boris Johnson , who said : ‘ Sunlight is the best disinfectant . ’
Sir Jeremy Heywood given humiliating rebuke by MPs in row over advisers . Given dressing down for clearing advisers to help in political campaigning . Comment: