Civil servant is 'victim of smear campaign'

The senior civil servant in charge of the Gambling Bill is the victim of a "smear campaign", Tessa Jowell said today.

Gideon Hoffman, head of gaming at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, sent his CV to bookmakers Ladbrokes just before taking up his current job.

Shadow culture secretary John Whittingdale said it was "extraordinary" that Mr Hoffman had applied for the post and said there should be an investigation into a possible conflict of interest.

But Ms Jowell hit out angrily at the revelations, adding that it was "nobody's business" if Mr Hoffman had three personal betting accounts as claimed this weekend.

She said: "This individual is facing a smear campaign because there are parts of our media that don't like this policy. I say to those people I'm responsible for this policy. Don't attack civil servants who can't go to the despatch

Mr Hoffman, who worked at the Treasury when he approached Ladbrokes for a job, was merely trying to gain experience in the private sector outside Whitehall, the minister said.

Ms Jowell said that rules of conduct were a matter for her permanent secretary at the department.