Jo Moore
Encyclopedia
Jo Moore served as a British
special adviser
and press officer ('spin doctor'). She was embroiled in scandal while working as advisor to Stephen Byers
, the Transport, Local Government and Regions Secretary
.
Moore began working as a press officer for local authorities in London
but moved to work for the Labour Party
in the early 1980s. She was also active in local politics in Haringey
. By the early 1990s she was the Labour Party's chief press officer. She served as Chief Press and Broadcasting Officer during the Labour Party's 1997 general election campaign. In 1998 she left her job to work part-time as an Account Director at a leading lobbying company. However Stephen Byers
appointed her (initially part-time) as his Special Adviser from 17 February 1999.
At 2:55pm BST
(9:55am EDT) on 11 September 2001, after both World Trade Center
towers had been hit in the attacks
, but before either tower had collapsed, Moore sent an email to the press office of her department which read:
The Department did indeed announce on the following day two minor changes to the system of Councillors Allowances. Nearly a month later, Moore's email was leaked to the press where it provoked opprobrium around the cynical nature of spin
. Moore ultimately made a personal appearance before the cameras to apologise for what she had written.
The leaked email appeared on the day after Byers had announced the placing of Railtrack
, the private sector rail infrastructure company, in administration. It was eventually to be replaced by Network Rail
, a not-for-profit
'public interest company'. In November the department appointed a new Director of Communications, Martin Sixsmith
.
However, on 13 February 2002 the row flared up again when a leak to the press alleged that Moore had made further attempts to "bury" unfavourable railway statistics on the day of a major event. It was backed up by a copy of an email from Martin Sixsmith saying "Princess Margaret
is being buried [on Friday]. I will absolutely not allow anything else to be". Both Moore and Sixsmith said the email was a fabrication and Downing Street initially said the e-mail rebuke did not exist but performed a U-turn on the afternoon of 14th February after it emerged that Sixsmith had indeed sent an email in such terms (although the wording was not accurately reported).
Both Jo Moore and Martin Sixsmith both resigned on 15th February 2002 after Downing Street called on Transport Secretary Stephen Byers to get the continuing Whitehall spin row "sorted out".
Further information revealed a murky picture. The department had picked the Friday for the release of the figures before it had been selected as the day for the funeral. Sixsmith had sent an email to Byers, and copied it to Moore; the leaker (an unidentified civil servant) had rewritten it to seem more damaging to Moore.
After her resignation Jo Moore retrained to become a teacher in 2003.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
special adviser
Special advisers in the United Kingdom
A special adviser works in a supporting role to the British government. With media, political or policy expertise, their duty is to assist and advise government ministers.-Role:...
and press officer ('spin doctor'). She was embroiled in scandal while working as advisor to Stephen Byers
Stephen Byers
Stephen John Byers is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for North Tyneside from 1997 to 2010; in the previous parliament, from 1992, he represented Wallsend...
, the Transport, Local Government and Regions Secretary
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
.
Moore began working as a press officer for local authorities in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
but moved to work for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in the early 1980s. She was also active in local politics in Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
. By the early 1990s she was the Labour Party's chief press officer. She served as Chief Press and Broadcasting Officer during the Labour Party's 1997 general election campaign. In 1998 she left her job to work part-time as an Account Director at a leading lobbying company. However Stephen Byers
Stephen Byers
Stephen John Byers is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for North Tyneside from 1997 to 2010; in the previous parliament, from 1992, he represented Wallsend...
appointed her (initially part-time) as his Special Adviser from 17 February 1999.
At 2:55pm BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
(9:55am EDT) on 11 September 2001, after both World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers had been hit in the attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, but before either tower had collapsed, Moore sent an email to the press office of her department which read:
- It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?
The Department did indeed announce on the following day two minor changes to the system of Councillors Allowances. Nearly a month later, Moore's email was leaked to the press where it provoked opprobrium around the cynical nature of spin
Spin (public relations)
In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
. Moore ultimately made a personal appearance before the cameras to apologise for what she had written.
The leaked email appeared on the day after Byers had announced the placing of Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
, the private sector rail infrastructure company, in administration. It was eventually to be replaced by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, a not-for-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
'public interest company'. In November the department appointed a new Director of Communications, Martin Sixsmith
Martin Sixsmith
-Education:Sixsmith was born in Cheshire and educated at the Manchester Grammar School where he studied Russian to O-level, and subsequently A-level, then at Oxford, Harvard, the Sorbonne University in Paris, and in St. Petersburg , in Russia...
.
However, on 13 February 2002 the row flared up again when a leak to the press alleged that Moore had made further attempts to "bury" unfavourable railway statistics on the day of a major event. It was backed up by a copy of an email from Martin Sixsmith saying "Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
is being buried [on Friday]. I will absolutely not allow anything else to be". Both Moore and Sixsmith said the email was a fabrication and Downing Street initially said the e-mail rebuke did not exist but performed a U-turn on the afternoon of 14th February after it emerged that Sixsmith had indeed sent an email in such terms (although the wording was not accurately reported).
Both Jo Moore and Martin Sixsmith both resigned on 15th February 2002 after Downing Street called on Transport Secretary Stephen Byers to get the continuing Whitehall spin row "sorted out".
Further information revealed a murky picture. The department had picked the Friday for the release of the figures before it had been selected as the day for the funeral. Sixsmith had sent an email to Byers, and copied it to Moore; the leaker (an unidentified civil servant) had rewritten it to seem more damaging to Moore.
After her resignation Jo Moore retrained to become a teacher in 2003.
External links
- "These Unfortunate Events" - report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration.