We need more than piecemeal reforms to ethics and standards
4 min read
A few months into ‘phase two’ of Keir Starmer’s government, ministerial resignations and some uncomfortable headlines raise questions about how far the government has met its ambitions on improving standards in public life.
This week's launch of the Ethics and Integrity Commission is a welcome attempt to introduce a more coherent approach to integrity in public life and bring clarity to the fragmented standards system.
However, that is likely to be all it achieves, as there is a real risk that it will become little more than a rebranded Committee on Standards in Public Life, the former ethics watchdog. To avoid this, the Commission should be properly resourced, given a strong foundation in law, and accompanied by wider updates to the standards system.
The government has promised comprehensive reform, but the measures introduced so far fall short of the changes needed to restore integrity and rebuild trust. And the shaky footing of the new Commission undermines its independence and effectiveness. For example, its budget will be set by the Cabinet Office, which leaves it vulnerable to political pressure.
In 2021, CSPL made 34 recommendations after the most comprehensive review into standards in over a decade. Of the outstanding 28 recommendations, the Labour government has implemented only two. By contrast, the previous government adopted six, though these were comparatively easy wins.
Without more ambitious reform, the UK will continue to rely on the ‘good chaps’ theory of personal integrity and accountability, which assumes ministers will resign if they are found to have broken the rules.
The recent resignation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister suggests this can work, but history shows this is far from a given. Repeated breaches went unaddressed in the previous government and, more than once, it was Number 10’s ethics adviser rather than the minister who ultimately resigned.
A future-proofed regime that cannot be ignored or overruled by prime ministerial whim requires a statutory footing. The role and powers of the EIC and the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards should be enshrined in law. A legal requirement to issue a Ministerial Code would help guarantee its existence without pre-writing its content.
Lobbying transparency is another major gap. Monthly publications of gifts and hospitality — introduced after ‘freebie-gate’ in September last year — were a positive step, but the previous government’s commitment to a monthly register of ministerial meetings with lobbyists now appears to have been dropped.
Revolving-door rules also need tightening. Abolishing the ineffective Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is overdue and welcome. But the replacement system must include clear conditions and credible, enforceable sanctions to prevent former ministers and senior officials from exerting undue influence on behalf of new employers.
The Greensill scandal showed how a former prime minister could gain unparalleled access to policymakers, and our own analysis highlights the scale of the problem. Between January 2017 and June 2022, nearly a third of roles taken by former ministers and senior officials overlapped with their previous brief, and almost one in ten applications to ACOBA concerned consultant lobbying roles.
As it stands, the government has taken a piecemeal approach to standards reform. It is unclear why certain measures were chosen over others, perhaps because they were least controversial or easiest to implement, but what is clear is that what has been announced so far does not amount to meaningful change. And the newly announced Ethics and Integrity Commission is not the panacea for restoring integrity in politics.
While in opposition, Labour was quick to condemn the previous government’s ethical failures and pledge to clean up politics. It now has the chance to prove that its commitment to governance and standards is more than campaign rhetoric. The CSPL has already set out a comprehensive roadmap for reform. Implementing the outstanding recommendations would go a long way toward restoring integrity in public life.
Daniel Bruce is Chief Executive of Transparency International UK.
