Joe Peeler is a much misunderstood man.
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Indeed, it is said, unjust reflections have been cast on his personal honour.
And that blow at a Civil Servant who — until the Guardian leak — had maintained a becoming modesty has annoyed his political masters. So, while busy defending the Transport Minister the Government has thought it only right to throw in a word or two in defence of Mr Peeler, who cannot speak for himself.
A gracious champion he found too. Baroness Stedman, a Whip in the Upper House who deals with transport topics raised by their Lordships.
She it was who spoke about Mr Peeler's honour, explaining that those who used th leaked document "have drawn inferences about his attitude which, in the light of what happened within the Department are justfied neither logically nor morally."
This, appears, is what really happened . . An article appeared in The Times saying that heavier loads might be economically and environmentally desirable and so Mr Rodgers, as is his custom, asked his senior Civil Servants to give him their views.
The ideas of Mr Peeler, the Under Secretary dealing with freight, were only one of many.
The alarms and excursions which followed the Guardian story on this document and its presentation as a plot among the backroom boys in favour of heavier lorries need not be gone into here.
But the Department is not letting the matter rest. For, as Lady Stedman observed, not only had it affected Mr Peeler, but it had also caused unnecessary confusion within the Department.
Rather an odd piece of news, for one would have thought that Bill Rodgers's own staff would have known what was what especially — as Lady Stedman pointed out — as he had repeatedly and clearly stated his policy. Surely it was the outside reaction which was allimportant.
Lord Avebury had obviously thought so — he had inspired Lady Stedman's statement by talking of a Civil Servant's brazen attempt to manipulate public opinion in favour of the road lobby and an Improper use of public money to promulgate the political opinions of one of these public servants.