Latest news with #Acoba
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Acoba axed: How the post-ministerial jobs watchdog proved ‘next to useless'
After years of criticism, the Whitehall body that regulates the revolving door between those in public office and subsequent private earnings is to be scrapped. Branded 'toothless' in a 2017 parliamentary report, the effectiveness of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba)was greatly limited by the rules set by the government on former ministers and senior civil servants, deemed 'dead in the water, next to useless, utterly pointless and in need of reform' by Acoba's final chair, the Conservative peer Eric Pickles. Acoba was unable to do more than publish letters and recommend against honours or future public appointments for those it found had breached the rules. In one instance published earlier this month, Lord Pickles admitted: 'There are currently no consequences of sanctions for breaches of the government's rules.' Sir Keir Starmer's promised reforms will see former ministers and senior civil servants asked to return severance payments in the case of any breaches, while the functions of Acoba are to be split between the prime minister's independent adviser on ministerial standards and the civil service commission. While Pickles told MPs in June that 'most of the breaches are by the befuddled and the confused', which he found deeply worrying, given that many of them had just weeks before been running the government, others have been more brazen. Fool me once In July 2018, Boris Johnson, the then foreign secretary, quit Theresa May's government and signed a contract as a Daily Telegraph columnist three days later, for £275,000 a year. He then asked Acoba if they would retroactively approve an application. The committee declined, and noted Johnson was supposed to have waited three months (not three days) after leaving office before taking up a new role. Nothing happened. Fool me twice In June 2023, now an ex-prime minister, Johnson wrote to Acoba to ask them for permission to join the Daily Mail as a columnist. Half an hour later, the appointment was announced. This was, Acoba found, an 'unambiguous breach' of the rules. Nothing happened. Fool me … thrice? In April 2024, Acoba published correspondence describing Johnson as 'evasive', that he 'avoided answering specific questions' and that he had 'refused to be open' about his relationship with a hedge fund, Merlyn Advisors, on whose behalf he met the Venezuelan president. Nothing happened. Johnson's former chief adviser became a Substack blogger in June 2021, after his exit from Downing Street, while offering himself up as a consultant. Acoba found Cummings had breached the rules by failing to seek their advice before starting the blog. The committee said he had failed to cooperate and refused to consider an application he later made in September 2021 to act as a consultant for Babylon Health. The government took an unusually long 14 months to respond to Acoba's letter notifying them of the breach, only responding in the final days of Johnson's government. Cummings, for his part, told the government earlier this year that 'the Cabinet Office got into the habit of writing fake Acoba letters to me and briefing them to the Mirror without even sending them to me', as part of a refusal to cooperate with a freedom of information request. Before his pivot to podcasts, Osborne joined the Evening Standard as its editor in March 2017, just four days after submitting his application to Acoba. Acoba found it to be a 'matter of regret' that the former chancellor's latest job was announced so soon after it received his application, before it had the chance to provide its advice. This followed Osborne's earlier failure to seek the committee's advice before announcing a different role as chair of the Northern Powerhouse in October 2016. Despite Osborne having already signed his contract with the newspaper, the committee rubber stamped his role as editor.
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Ethics Commission launched and ministerial exit pay tightened in standards drive
The move is part of an overhaul aimed at restoring trust in standards in public life, which will see the launch of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission. The commission, created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will have a wider, stronger remit to oversee integrity across every part of the public sector. Ministers will also scrap the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (Acoba) as part of the shake-up. Critics have said the watchdog – which assesses the jobs ex-ministers take after leaving government for conflicts of interest – is toothless and unable to enforce its rules properly. Pat McFadden, the senior Cabinet Office minister overseeing the reforms, said: 'This overhaul will mean there are stronger rules, fewer quangos and clearer lines of accountability. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has played an important role in the past three decades. These changes give it a new mandate for the future.' The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: 'But whatever the institutional landscape, the public will in the end judge politicians and Government by how they do their jobs and how they fulfil the principles of public service.' Ministers are currently entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months' salary when they leave office for any reason, and no matter how long they have been in the job. Under the changes being announced by the Government, ministers who leave office after a serious breach of the ministerial code or who have served less than six months will not get the payment. If they return to office within three months of leaving, they will also not receive their salary until the end of that three-month period. The reforms are aimed at preventing situations like that under the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss governments, which saw some Conservative ministers who served for little more than a month receive payouts of thousands of pounds. Labour has said some £253,720 was paid out to 35 outgoing Tory ministers who were in post for less than six months during 2022, some of whom were in their jobs for 37 days. The new Ethics and Integrity Commission would be required to report annually to the prime minister on the health of the standards system. It would be chaired by Doug Chalmers, a retired lieutenant general who chairs the current Standards Committee. The committee was set up in 1994 by then-prime minister Sir John Major, after his government was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. Sir John warned in a recent speech that a small group of politicians were increasingly breaking the rules, and suggested Acoba needed to be reformed. Ministers have instead decided to scrap it and split its functions between the Civil Service Commission and the Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Under reforms to the business appointments rules, ex-ministers found to have breached them by taking on inappropriate jobs will now be asked to repay any severance pay they receive. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said scrapping Acoba was 'the right step after years of Conservative sleaze which did so much damage to standards in public life'. They added: 'Its lack of powers to enforce the rules it oversaw meant Acoba was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. 'The Prime Minister must now go further – ban ministerial severance payouts altogether for disgraced former ministers, as well as stripping Liz Truss of her access to the ex-PM allowance fund of up to £125,000 per annum. 'It shouldn't have taken a year to set up the Ethics and Integrity Commission – and there will be no excuse if the Government attempts to kick these vital issues into the long grass.' The Conservatives meanwhile accused the Government of watering down its pledge to bolster ethics within Government. Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'This is the height of cynicism from the Labour Government – burying the bad news on the watering down of their pledges on Government ethics on the last days of term. 'All that Labour have announced today is just cosmetic rebrands of existing bodies. 'It's no surprise that Labour have done yet another U-turn, given the constant sleaze and scandal plaguing the last 12 months – from Labour MPs raking in freebies, handing out jobs for the boys in the Civil Service, and ministers being forced out of Government due to their criminal records and corruption allegations.'
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Ethics Commission launched and ministerial exit pay tightened in standards drive
The move is part of an overhaul aimed at restoring trust in standards in public life, which will see the launch of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission. The commission, created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will have a wider, stronger remit to oversee integrity across every part of the public sector. Ministers will also scrap the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (Acoba) as part of the shake-up. Critics have said the watchdog – which assesses the jobs ex-ministers take after leaving government for conflicts of interest – is toothless and unable to enforce its rules properly. Pat McFadden, the senior Cabinet Office minister overseeing the reforms, said: 'This overhaul will mean there are stronger rules, fewer quangos and clearer lines of accountability. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has played an important role in the past three decades. These changes give it a new mandate for the future.' The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: 'But whatever the institutional landscape, the public will in the end judge politicians and Government by how they do their jobs and how they fulfil the principles of public service.' Ministers are currently entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months' salary when they leave office for any reason, and no matter how long they have been in the job. Under the changes being announced by the Government, ministers who leave office after a serious breach of the ministerial code or who have served less than six months will not get the payment. If they return to office within three months of leaving, they will also not receive their salary until the end of that three-month period. The reforms are aimed at preventing situations like that under the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss governments, which saw some Conservative ministers who served for little more than a month receive payouts of thousands of pounds. Labour has said some £253,720 was paid out to 35 outgoing Tory ministers who were in post for less than six months during 2022, some of whom were in their jobs for 37 days. The new Ethics and Integrity Commission would be required to report annually to the prime minister on the health of the standards system. It would be chaired by Doug Chalmers, a retired lieutenant general who chairs the current Standards Committee. The committee was set up in 1994 by then-prime minister Sir John Major, after his government was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. Sir John warned in a recent speech that a small group of politicians were increasingly breaking the rules, and suggested Acoba needed to be reformed. Ministers have instead decided to scrap it and split its functions between the Civil Service Commission and the Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Under reforms to the business appointments rules, ex-ministers found to have breached them by taking on inappropriate jobs will now be asked to repay any severance pay they receive. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said scrapping Acoba was 'the right step after years of Conservative sleaze which did so much damage to standards in public life'. They added: 'Its lack of powers to enforce the rules it oversaw meant Acoba was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. 'The Prime Minister must now go further – ban ministerial severance payouts altogether for disgraced former ministers, as well as stripping Liz Truss of her access to the ex-PM allowance fund of up to £125,000 per annum. 'It shouldn't have taken a year to set up the Ethics and Integrity Commission – and there will be no excuse if the Government attempts to kick these vital issues into the long grass.' The Conservatives meanwhile accused the Government of watering down its pledge to bolster ethics within Government. Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'This is the height of cynicism from the Labour Government – burying the bad news on the watering down of their pledges on Government ethics on the last days of term. 'All that Labour have announced today is just cosmetic rebrands of existing bodies. 'It's no surprise that Labour have done yet another U-turn, given the constant sleaze and scandal plaguing the last 12 months – from Labour MPs raking in freebies, handing out jobs for the boys in the Civil Service, and ministers being forced out of Government due to their criminal records and corruption allegations.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ministers who breach sleaze rules won't get severance payments
Ministers who are sacked for breaching sleaze rules will no longer receive severance payments under government plans. At present, ministers who lose their jobs are entitled to three months' pay, which amounts to nearly £17,000 for a Cabinet minister. Pat McFadden, a Cabinet Office minister, announced on Monday morning that ministers guilty of a serious breach of the ministerial code would no longer receive the money. The payment will also not be given to those who served less than six months in the job. The move is part of an overhaul aimed at restoring trust in standards in public life, which will result in the launch of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission. The commission, created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will have a wider, stronger remit to oversee integrity across every part of the public sector. Ministers will also scrap the advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba) as part of the shake-up. Critics have said the watchdog, which assesses the jobs former ministers take after leaving government for conflicts of interest, is toothless and unable to enforce its rules properly. Under the changes, ministers who refuse to comply with its judgments and those of its successors will have to pay back any severance pay. Mr McFadden said: 'This overhaul will mean there are stronger rules, fewer quangos and clearer lines of accountability. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has played an important role in the past three decades. These changes give it a new mandate for the future. 'But whatever the institutional landscape, the public will in the end judge politicians and Government by how they do their jobs and how they fulfil the principles of public service.' Ministers are currently entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months' salary when they leave office for any reason, and no matter how long they have been in the job. Under the changes being announced by the Government, ministers who return to office within three months of leaving will also not receive their salary until the end of that three-month period. The reforms are aimed at preventing situations like that under the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss governments, which saw some Conservative ministers who served for little more than a month receive payouts of thousands of pounds. Labour says £253,720 was paid out to 35 outgoing Tory ministers who were in post for less than six months during 2022, some of whom were in their jobs for 37 days. The new Ethics and Integrity Commission will report annually to the Prime Minister on the health of the standards system. It will be chaired by Doug Chalmers, a retired lieutenant general who chairs the current Standards Committee. The committee was set up in 1994 by Sir John Major, then prime minister, after his government was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. Sir John warned in a recent speech that a small group of politicians were increasingly breaking the rules, and suggested Acoba needed to be reformed. Ministers have instead decided to scrap it and split its functions between the Civil Service Commission and the Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Under reforms to the business appointments rules, former ministers found to have breached them by taking on inappropriate jobs will now be asked to repay any severance pay they receive.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Ethics Commission launched and ministerial exit pay tightened in standards drive
The move is part of an overhaul aimed at restoring trust in standards in public life, which will see the launch of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission. The commission, created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will have a wider, stronger remit to oversee integrity across every part of the public sector. Ministers will also scrap the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (Acoba) as part of the shake-up. Critics have said the watchdog – which assesses the jobs ex-ministers take after leaving government for conflicts of interest – is toothless and unable to enforce its rules properly. Pat McFadden, the senior Cabinet Office minister overseeing the reforms, said: 'This overhaul will mean there are stronger rules, fewer quangos and clearer lines of accountability. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has played an important role in the past three decades. These changes give it a new mandate for the future.' The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: 'But whatever the institutional landscape, the public will in the end judge politicians and Government by how they do their jobs and how they fulfil the principles of public service.' Ministers are currently entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months' salary when they leave office for any reason, and no matter how long they have been in the job. Under the changes being announced by the Government, ministers who leave office after a serious breach of the ministerial code or who have served less than six months will not get the payment. If they return to office within three months of leaving, they will also not receive their salary until the end of that three-month period. The reforms are aimed at preventing situations like that under the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss governments, which saw some Conservative ministers who served for little more than a month receive payouts of thousands of pounds. Labour has said some £253,720 was paid out to 35 outgoing Tory ministers who were in post for less than six months during 2022, some of whom were in their jobs for 37 days. The new Ethics and Integrity Commission would be required to report annually to the prime minister on the health of the standards system. It would be chaired by Doug Chalmers, a retired lieutenant general who chairs the current Standards Committee. The committee was set up in 1994 by then-prime minister Sir John Major, after his government was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. Sir John warned in a recent speech that a small group of politicians were increasingly breaking the rules, and suggested Acoba needed to be reformed. Ministers have instead decided to scrap it and split its functions between the Civil Service Commission and the Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Under reforms to the business appointments rules, ex-ministers found to have breached them by taking on inappropriate jobs will now be asked to repay any severance pay they receive. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said scrapping Acoba was 'the right step after years of Conservative sleaze which did so much damage to standards in public life'. They added: 'Its lack of powers to enforce the rules it oversaw meant Acoba was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. 'The Prime Minister must now go further – ban ministerial severance payouts altogether for disgraced former ministers, as well as stripping Liz Truss of her access to the ex-PM allowance fund of up to £125,000 per annum. 'It shouldn't have taken a year to set up the Ethics and Integrity Commission – and there will be no excuse if the Government attempts to kick these vital issues into the long grass.' The Conservatives meanwhile accused the Government of watering down its pledge to bolster ethics within Government. Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'This is the height of cynicism from the Labour Government – burying the bad news on the watering down of their pledges on Government ethics on the last days of term. 'All that Labour have announced today is just cosmetic rebrands of existing bodies. 'It's no surprise that Labour have done yet another U-turn, given the constant sleaze and scandal plaguing the last 12 months – from Labour MPs raking in freebies, handing out jobs for the boys in the Civil Service, and ministers being forced out of Government due to their criminal records and corruption allegations.'
