大象传媒

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 鈥� 鈥渢hey should happen in private鈥�. Lord Armstrong agreed an investigation should go ahead 鈥渘o holds barred鈥� adding that 鈥渋t would make Chilcott and Savile [inquiries] look like easy money鈥�.

When asked about whether he was aware of an institutional cover up in the 鈥榚stablishment鈥�, he said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 impossible. I wasn鈥檛 aware of it at the time.鈥�

On the former prime Minister he said, in his opinion, Edward Heath was 鈥渃ompletely asexual鈥�.

Lord Armstrong also clarified comments about the late Jimmy Savile that he made to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He said it would be 鈥渂etter not to give him a knighthood鈥�, suggesting she would be 鈥渢aking a risk which she didn鈥檛 need to take鈥�. He said there was 鈥榓 general sense鈥� 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.

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