MPs are to table a bill in the House of Commons to force Rishi Sunak to appoint a new ethics advisor – as the watchdog role sits vacant.
The government’s last ethics advisor, Lord Geidt, resigned in June as Boris Johnson shrugged off a series of scandals and clung onto power.
But neither Mr Johnson, nor Liz Truss, nor Rishi Sunak have appointed anyone else to the role, which has now been vacant for more than 145 days.
The ethics tsar’s job is to advise the prime minister on whether members of the governemnt have broken the ministerial code – to prevent sleaze and corruption from taking hold at the top of the British state.
But the role has been criticised for being insufficiently powerful, with recommendations easily brushed aside by a prime minister determined to flout the rules.
Lord Geidt’s predecessor, Alex Allan, had also quit in November 2020 after Mr Johnson ignored his finding that then Home Secretary Priti Patel had bullied civil servants.
The new Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests (Parliamentary Appointment) Bill, tabled by Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine, would force the PM to fill the role.
The bill would “give parliament the power to appoint an Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests for the UK Government” if the prime minister refused to do so – effectively forcing his hands.
On his appointment as prime minister Mr Sunak said he would govern with “integrity” – having previously resigned from Mr Johnson’s government over the former PM’s conduct.
But the new bill comes as the government is dragged into a new bullying scandal involving allegations against Cabinet Office minister Gavin Williamson.
Mr Sunak on Tuesday said he had full confidence in Sir Gavin, who has been reported to parliament’s own bullying watchdog after allegedly sending messages to ex-chief whip Wendy Morton and accusing her of “rigging” the invite list for the Queen’s funeral. No 10 has accepted that language used by Sir Gavin was “not acceptable”.
“We might have a new Prime Minister, but it took just days for Downing Street to become embroiled in yet more scandal. Different Prime Minister same old Conservatives,” said the bills tabled, Liberal Democrat Ms Jardine, who is also her party’s Cabinet office spokesperson.
“Rather than govern with ‘integrity’ Rishi Sunak appointed controversial figures like Gavin Williamson and Suella Braverman – while leaving the vital post of Ethics Adviser vacant. Both are being let off the hook by the Prime Minister’s failure to match his words with actions.
“If Rishi Sunak won’t appoint an Ethics Adviser, Parliament must force his hand. It’s vital that Conservative MPs support my attempt to wrest control over the role to Parliament.”
Because the government has an absolute majority, the bill is unlikely to pass parliament unless backbench Tories join the opposition in voting for it.
In October Mr Sunak effectively committed to appointing a new ethics advisor, with Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin telling the Commons that “it is absolutely the Prime Minister’s intention to appoint an independent adviser”. No one has yet been appointed to the job, however.
