Byers backs terror memo adviser

Jo Moore and Stephen Byers have both come under fire

Transport Secretary Stephen Byers says he is standing by his under-fire adviser Jo Moore as calls mount for her to be sacked.

Senior Labour MP Gerald Kaufman led those insisting that Jo Moore be sacked after she sent an e-mail on 11 September urging colleagues to use the news fallout from the US terror attacks to "bury" bad news.

I understand the anger that people feel but it was one isolated mistake

Stephen Byers

Mr Byers told the BBC that Ms Moore had made "a terrible error of judgment" and he understood the anger at the memo but said that it was "an isolated mistake" and it would been "inappropriate" to sack her on that basis.

The memo was written at 1455 London time, after both towers at the World Trade Center had been attacked, but before they collapsed.

Mr Byers said Ms Moore had "accepted full responsibility and she's given a full apology and that's right and proper.

Dirty tricks allegation

"I understand the anger that people feel but it was one isolated mistake.

"Whether we sacrifice a person's career because of that would be inappropriate."

Since the memo found its way into newspapers the beleaguered adviser has also been implicated in a dirty tricks campaign against London transport commissioner Bob Kiley.

Controversial announcements since 11 September

Proposed new councillors' expenses

Gavyn Davies made BBC chairman

Review of student finance

Sellafield plant go-ahead

Picketts Lock athletics stadium plans dropped

Railtrack put into administration

But Mr Byers denied that a senior civil servant, Alun Evans, was forced out of his job after he objected to becoming involved in such a political campaign.

He said Alun Evans's move to "a very important job" on the foot-and-mouth inquiry was not due to any "conflict" with Ms Moore.

Labour MP John Cryer, branded Ms Moore's conduct as a disgrace, arguing that she had no place in the government.

"The behaviour she's displayed, it flies in the face of any public service ethos that I have ever heard of and it flies in the face of everything the Labour Party ever stood for."

'Stupid statement'

His colleague, Stephen Pound, however came to Ms Moore's defence saying that when she made her "stupid statement" she had no way of knowing just how far reaching the impact of the attacks on New York would be.

But Mr Kaufman, who is chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport select committee and MP for Manchester Gorton, said the public had a right to expect certain standards from public servants.

He told BBC's Question Time: "I think that Jo Moore should go. I do not believe that it is appropriate that somebody who said that, whose reflex reaction was to say it, should stay around."