Keir Starmer tightens rules on ministers accepting gifts after scandals over Taylor Swift tickets and clothes from a Labour donor – as PM gives up ability to veto ethics probes_Nhy
Keir Starmer today tightened rules governing freebies accepted by ministers in the wake of scandals involving Taylor Swift tickets and free clothes – but said that sometimes his team might have to accept gifts as part of their job.
An update to the Ministerial Code that guides government behaviour set out that senior government figures have responsibilities that mean sometimes they will ‘attend functions and events … including those where hospitality may be offered.’
But it also warned them not to take any free ‘gifts, hospitality or service’ that might be seen to ‘compromise their judgement or place them under an obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence their work in government’.
It comes after a wave of scandals that hit the Government in the wake of Labour‘s July 4 election win.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer, his deputy Angela Rayner and other ministers were revealed to have accepted gifts of clothes and styling advice from Lord Alli, a Labour peer and donor and a former chairman of Asos.
And last month there was a row after it emerged that Sir Keir and other top figures accepted tickets to see Ms Swift play at Wembley after she asked for a police escort to the venue.
Sir Keir has also removed the PM of the day’s ability to block or kill off an investigation by the ethics tsar Sir Laurie Magnus.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer, his deputy Angela Rayner and other ministers were revealed to have accepted gifts of clothes and styling advice from Lord Alli, a Labour peer and donor and a former chairman of Asos. And last month there was a row after it emerged that Sir Keir and other top figures accepted tickets to see Ms Swift play at Wembley after she asked for a police escort to the venue.
Sir Keir has also removed the PM of the day’s ability to block or kill off an investigation by the ethics tsar Sir Laurie Magnus.
The Ministerial Code update today removed in writing the ability for the Prime Minister to veto investigations considered by independent adviser Sir Laurie.
The new version of the code removed text that said the Prime Minister will ‘normally give consent’ for investigations and if they did approve one, they reserved the right to ‘raise concerns … such that the independent adviser does not proceed’ if there are ‘public interest reasons for doing so’.
The code now states that ‘where the independent adviser believes that an alleged breach of the code warrants further investigation and that matter has not already been referred to them, they may initiate an investigation after notifying the Prime Minister’.
‘Ministers are expected to provide the independent adviser with all information reasonably necessary for the discharge of their role.’
Previously the code had said that ‘ministers should not accept any gift or hospitality which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an improper obligation’.
Ministers are also told that they should be ‘mindful’ of the ‘public’s confidence’ in Government standards when making decisions about whether to accept gifts or hospitality.
A foreword to the code by Sir Keir said that the code ‘sets out the higher standards that the British people expect and that ministers must now follow’.
‘The British people have lost faith in its ability to change their lives for the better.
‘For a long time, they have looked at the conduct of politicians in Westminster and not seen the high standards of public service they expect or deserve,’ the Prime Minister added.
Sir Laurie has been the independent adviser since December 2022, when he was appointed by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak.
