Lord Armstrong: Handling of Heath allegations are ‘against justice and unfair’

Robert Armstrong - later Lord Armstrong - became a close friend when he became principal private secretary in the prime minister's office when Sir Edward Heath came to power in 1970.

He said investigations should go ahead without media involvement – “they should happen in private”. Lord Armstrong agreed an investigation should go ahead “no holds barred” adding that “it would make Chilcott and Savile [inquiries] look like easy money”.

When asked about whether he was aware of an institutional cover up in the ‘establishment’, he said “I don’t think it’s impossible. I wasn’t aware of it at the time.”

On the former prime Minister he said, in his opinion, Edward Heath was “completely asexual”.

Lord Armstrong also clarified comments about the late Jimmy Savile that he made to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He said it would be “better not to give him a knighthood”, suggesting she would be “taking a risk which she didn’t need to take”. He said there was ‘a general sense’ around Savile but he had no specific information.

Robert Armstrong later became Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, and their friendship lasted until the end of Heath's life.