Boris Johnson committed a “clear and unambiguous breach” of the rules by taking a new job as a Daily Mail columnist, a government watchdog has said.
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) on Tuesday wrote to the government and said there was urgent need for reform of the “good chaps” approach to ministerial jobs.
Acoba chairman Lord Pickles said Mr Johnson’s decision to refer his new job to the watchdog just 30 minutes before it was publicly announced was a breach of the ministerial code.
Under the rules, ministers who leave government must consult Acoba on any jobs they take within two years of leaving government.
But the current arrangement has been criticised for being too lenient and lacking enforcement power.
In a letter to deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, Lord Pickles said it was up to the government to take action.
The latest rule breach comes just weeks after Mr Johnson was found by a cross-party committee to have repeatedly lied to Parliament.
Lord Pickles, who is a Conservative peer and former communities secretary, said Mr Johnson’s case was a “further illustration of how out of date” the rules were.
He added that sanctions for breaches of the rules were needed.
“What action to take in relation to this breach is a matter for the Government,” Lord Pickles wrote.
“I suggest that you take into consideration the low-risk nature of the appointment itself, and the need to reform the system to deal with roles in proportion to the risks posed.”
Mr Johnson is writing a weekly column for the Daily Mail and has so far raised eyebrows by writing one article about his experience with a weight-loss drug, and another sharing his views on last week’s submarine disaster.
Correspondence published by the watchdog on Tuesday showed how the former PM’s office submitted the last-minute request to Acoba after his new role had already been cryptically trailed on the Mail’s front page.
Shelley Williams-Walker, who worked in Mr Johnson’s private office and was made a dame in his resignation honours, emailed in the request at 12.31pm.
Half an hour after the submission a pre-recorded video was posted on social media by the Daily Mail featuring Mr Johnson, who confirmed his appointment in the job.
Asked for clarity by Acoba, Mr Johnson argued: “I have not signed any contract or been paid. If you have any objection to my signing a contract in the next few weeks perhaps you could let me know.”
Acoba also confirmed to the Guardian it holds no records of applications submitted to the committee by Sir Keir Starmer when he stood down as director of public prosecutions in 2013 and became a part-time consultant at law firm Mishcon de Reya.
Sir Keir’s spokesperson denied any wrongdoing, suggesting it was not standard practice for a former DPP to consult Acoba.
In December the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of MPs warned that the current system of regulating business appointments was not “sufficient to maintain public confidence”.
There are concerns that the current “revolving door” between government and the private sector could lead to the undue lobbying of ministers, see access to privileged information available to the highest bidder, and create perverse incentives for ministers with an eye on their next career move.
PACAC’s report warned that “enforcement and the ability to sanction those that breach the rules is fundamental to ensuring a regulatory regime that commands public confidence”.
