Ministers who are found to have breached the Ministerial Code will no longer be automatically expected to resign or face the sack, according to a new government policy statement.
The statement said it would be “disproportionate” to expect a minister to lose their job for “minor” breaches of the code.
The prime minister could instead order “some form of public apology, remedial action or removal of ministerial salary for a period”.
The statement added: “Reflecting the prime minister’s accountability for the conduct of the executive, it is important that a role is retained for the prime minister in decisions about investigations.”
Earlier, Tory MP Paul Holmes resigned as an aide to home secretary Priti Patel, saying the Sue Gray report into Partygate has exposed a “deep mistrust” in government.
It is the first resignation since the publication of the civil servant’s final report into Covid rule-breaking parties in Downing Street.
The Eastleigh MP said a “toxic culture [seems] to have permeated Number 10”.
‘Extremely urgent’: British MPs push government to help human rights activist jailed in Egypt
British MPs have demanded Boris Johnson’s government exert “maximum pressure” on Egypt to secure a consular visit for UK citizen Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who is nearly two months into a jail hunger strike, warning his situation is “dire and urgent”.
The fresh calls for help come after more than 30 MPs and peers wrote to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss last week urging her to push for his immediate release, claiming his treatment sets a “dangerous precedent” and and doing nothing could impact on the rights of all Britons abroad.
Our international correspondent Bel Trew reports:
Ministers no longer expected to resign if they break Code
Ministers who are found to have breached the Ministerial Code will no longer automatically be expected to resign or face the sack, according a new Government policy statement.
The statement said it would be “disproportionate” to expect a minister to lose their job for “minor” breaches of the code.
It said the Prime Minister could instead order “some form of public apology, remedial action or removal of ministerial salary for a period”.
It said revised terms of reference for the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on the code, Lord Geidt, include an “enhanced process” to allow him to initiate investigations with the Prime Minister’s consent, although the final decision rests with the Prime Minister.
“Reflecting the Prime Minister’s accountability for the conduct of the executive, it is important that a role is retained for the Prime Minister in decisions about investigations,” the statement said.
The statement comes as Boris Johnson is facing an investigation by the Commons Privileges Committee into whether he misled Parliament over lockdown parties in Whitehall.
Breaking: Changes announced by Boris Johnson mean ministers no longer expected to resign for misbehaviour
Government ministers will no longer be expected automatically to resign or be sacked if they breach their code of conduct, under changes announced by Boris Johnson.
Andrew Woodcock, our political editor, reports:
Opinion: The impact of Rishi Sunak’s ‘mini Budget’ has been ruined by Partygate
“Rishi Sunak’s “not an emergency Budget” was more significant than expected, both economically and politically. Ignore the claims the timing had nothing to do with Partygate; of course it did. At various points, I was told the cost-of-living package would come in August, then July, then June.
“Boris Johnson had every reason to change the music on the day after Sue Gray’s final report. Ofgem, the energy regulator, provided some cover by predicting the hike in domestic bills in October, but Johnson would surely have insisted on a diversion even without it,” writes Andrew Grice.
‘Rough justice’: Sunak hands wealthy pensioners £850 while poor families lose out, analysis shows
Rishi Sunak’s energy bills support will hand wealthy pensioners £850 that they may not need while low-income families miss out, new analysis has shown.
The think tank said that the biggest winners are wealthy pensioners while larger families will see their bills rises most steeply but still receive the same flat-rate paynment.
My colleague Ben Chapman has more:
Tiverton and Honiton by-election: Tory candidate ‘told not to speak to media because of fear of partygate questions’
The Conservative candidate for the upcoming Tiverton and Honiton by-election has been ordered not to speak to the media by senior party officials because they fear she will be asked about partygate, insiders say.
Parish councillor Helen Hurford has been selected to fight the seat after former Tory MP Neil Parish resigned following revelations that he had twice watched pornography in parliament.
But the former headteacher is said to have been told not to speak to press – because CCHQ think she will struggle to deal with questions about Boris Johnson’s lockdown lawbreaking.
Colin Drury has more details:
Carers ‘facing £200 cut to income’ after being left out from Rishi Sunak’s cost-of-living package
With the carer’s allowance increasing by just 3.1 per cent from £67.60 a week to £69.70, rocketing inflation means claimants are taking a combined hit of £193m this year, after inflation of 9 per cent is taken into account, the party said.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports:
Boris Johnson has said his situation is “different” to Rishi Sunak after the chancellor confirmed he would be donating his £400 energy bill rebate to charity.
As part of the emergency cost-of-living package, the chancellor announced each household will get the £400 energy discount that will be partly funded by a £5 billion windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
Mr Sunak, who last week appeared on The Sunday Times Rich List with his wife Akshata Murty for the first time with their joint £730 million fortune, was questioned about what would happen to his £400 grant.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I’m sure you will join me in giving that money to charity.”
But when questioned if he would be following suit and donating his grant money, the Prime Minister said it works differently for him.
He told reporters during a visit to Stockton-on-Tees: “I think my arrangements are different because I live in a Government flat.
“But I think it’s important that people should recognise these payments will not necessarily cover the increased costs fully.
“We can’t cover every single cost that people are going to pay, we’ve got to be realistic about that.
“However, they will go a long way towards helping people.”
Martin Lewis hits back at claims he’s ‘sold out’ over Rishi Sunak cost of living plan
Martin Lewis has said he just tries to “call it straight” as he hit back at critics who accused him of being a “sell out” after praising Rishi Sunak‘s package of measures to help with the cost of living crisis.
The Money Saving Expert has in recent months been highly critical of the chancellor and the government more broadly for not doing enough to help people with rising fuel, food and energy bills.
But Mr Lewis said on Thursday that he welcomed the series of measures announced by the chancellor in parliament earlier in the day, which included a £400 cut to energy bills for every household in the UK, Matt Mathers writes.
All the cost of living help available and how to get it including £400 energy bill discount
The British chancellor announced a host of new measures this week following criticism the government wasn’t doing enough.
My colleague Zoe Tidman has a list of all that is available at the moment to help easy the financial burden:
