Misplaced Pages

#927072

34-668: It paid for assistants to front bench politicians, now known as special political advisors , who were referred to as Chocolate Soldiers, until public money was provided for the purpose in 1974. It produced many of the earliest studies of management in the United Kingdom, particularly in the National Health Service . It submitted evidence to the Committee on the Staffing of Local Government ( Mallaby Committee ) in 1966. Directors of

68-588: A SpAd , is a temporary civil servant who advises and assists UK government ministers or ministers in the Scottish and Welsh devolved governments. They differ from impartial civil servants in that they are political appointees. Special advisers are paid by the government and appointed under Section 15 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 . There are four pay bands for special advisers. Special advisers were first appointed from 1964 under

102-865: A book about their ministerial experiences while in office. Former ministers require manuscripts to be cleared by the Cabinet Secretary, under the "Radcliffe rules". Ministers should not make oral statements to Parliament without prior approval from the Prime Minister. Any other minister or MP to be mentioned in such a statement should be notified beforehand. Official government transport, paid for by public funds, should normally only be used on government business, except where security requires that it be used even for personal transport. All travel should be cost-effective, and any trips abroad should be kept as small as possible. All overseas delegations costing more than £500 have their details published, annually. Members of

136-538: A complete list of any financial interests they have. In March 2009, this list was released to the public for the first time. It is collated and made available by the Cabinet Office. Officials sometimes need to restrict "interested" ministers' access to certain papers, to ensure impartiality. Guidelines are set out as to maintaining neutrality for ministers who are members of a trade union. No minister should accept gifts or hospitality from any person or organisation when

170-500: A conflict of interest could arise. A list of gifts, and how they were dealt with on an individual basis, is published annually. Speeches , interviews and news releases should all be cleared with the Number 10 Press Office , to ensure synchronicity of timing, and clarity of content. Ministers should not practice "regular journalism" without the permission of the Office. No minister may publish

204-547: A foreword from the Prime Minister . This section is an introduction, setting out the role of ministers to the government, to Parliament , and to the people. It directs ministers to "behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety," to uphold the principle of collective responsibility , and to avoid conflicts of interest . It says "It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at

238-610: A pathetic figure. The credulous man actually believed the prime minister when he said he knew nothing about a businessman buddy, Lord Brownlow, paying for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat until the media mentioned it in February 2021." On 12 January 2022, in the House of Commons , MP Chris Bryant described Lord Geidt's reputation as "tarnished" by his involvement with Johnson. In his annual report of May 2022, Geidt said that he had avoided offering unprompted advice to Boris Johnson about

272-529: A political dimension to the advice and assistance available to Ministers while reinforcing the political impartiality of the permanent Civil Service by distinguishing the source of political advice and support [...] Special advisers are employed to help Ministers on matters where the work of Government and the work of the Government Party overlap and where it would be inappropriate for permanent civil servants to become involved. They are an additional resource for

306-411: A row with the Prime Minister over trade policy". BBC News said the resignation was due to a request for advice on a trade issue that had left him with no choice but to quit. Geidt maintained he was asked to advise this week on an issue he believed would be a deliberate breach of the ministerial code. Geidt wrote "This request has placed me in an impossible and odious position." He wrote the concept that

340-461: A series of high-profile political scandals over the Code ( David Blunkett resigned for a second time over a conflict of interest; and Tessa Jowell 's husband was implicated – separately – in a furore over his financial dealings), that it should be administered by a more impartial figure than the Prime Minister. However, the Prime Minister remains the ultimate judge of whether or not a minister has breached

374-636: A spoof diary Staggering Hubris , written in Hubris' voice, purporting to tell the "real story" of the chaos behind the scenes as the British government attempted to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic . Ministerial Code The Ministerial Code is a document setting out "rules" and standards for government ministers in the United Kingdom. Separate codes exist for ministers of the Scottish Government ,

SECTION 10

#1732895504928

408-747: Is covered during any absence from London, even for constituency business. This section, Ministers and Civil Servants , regards ministerial relationships with the Civil Service . It states that ministers "must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service, and not ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code ." Ministers' Constituency and Party Interests directs ministers to refrain from using government property and resources in their role as an MP . For example, political leaflets must not be distributed at

442-583: Is currently administered by the Propriety and Ethics group within the Cabinet Office . The Code is periodically updated. The 2015 update removed the explicit requirement that ministers comply with international law and treaty obligations. Dave Penman , general secretary of the senior civil servants' trade union FDA , felt that Keir Starmer’s 2024 reforms to the ministerial code did not go far enough. The Code has ten sections, and two annexes. It begins with

476-535: The Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1995. Ministers who have left office are prohibited from lobbying government for two years. They should also seek advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) regarding any employment they take up within the two years of leaving office. Complying by the advice of the committee is mandatory under the code. It has been argued that, following

510-477: The Harold Wilson 's first Labour government to provide political advice to Ministers and have been subsequently utilised by all following governments. Advisers are governed by a code of conduct which goes some way to defining their role and delineates relations with the permanent civil service, contact with the media and relationship with the governing party, inter alia: the employment of special advisers adds

544-519: The Home Secretary "had not consistently met the high standards expected of her under the Ministerial Code." Priti Patel issued an apology, but did not resign, and Boris Johnson did not call for her resignation. Alex Allan subsequently resigned as independent adviser, stating, "I recognise that it is for the prime minister to make a judgement on whether actions by a minister amount to a breach of

578-631: The Northern Ireland Executive (based on the St Andrews Agreement ) and the Welsh Government . Codes of conduct for ministers are amongst a range of initiatives designed to respond to perceptions of the erosion of ministerial accountability, and to preserve public trust in the institutions of cabinet government. Written guidance for British cabinet ministers began as the document Questions of Procedure for Ministers (QPM), which

612-920: The Westminster village frequently includes characters that are special advisers, such as Frank Weisel in Yes Minister , and Ollie Reeder and Glen Cullen in The Thick of It at the ministerial level, and figures like Malcolm Tucker (also of The Thick of It ) seen operating at the apex of power, often overriding or manipulating Prime Ministers and other world leaders. Shortly after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, British Comedian Josh Berry gained online media attention for his character Rafe Hubris, an arrogant, Eton -educated SpAd at 10 Downing Street , who calls Johnson 'BloJo', his chief of staff Dominic Cummings 'Big Daddy Cum-Cum' and health secretary Matt Hancock 'Matt Cock-in-his-Hands'. In 2021, Berry published

646-453: The Cabinet have the authority to order special (non-scheduled) flights, but this power should only be used when necessary. In the event of a minister being summoned home on urgent government business, the cost of the round trip will be paid for from public funds. There are also rules relating to the use of official cars, and air miles gained by official travel. These principles were published by

680-520: The Code. In February, 2020, Sir Philip Rutnam resigned as permanent secretary at the Home Office , causing the Cabinet Office to launch an inquiry into allegations of bullying by the Home Secretary , Priti Patel , and whether the Ministerial Code had been breached. Sir Alex Allan led the investigation in his role as the independent adviser on Ministers’ interests, which he had held since 2011. On 20 November 2020, he reported in his findings that

714-591: The Minister providing assistance from a standpoint that is more politically committed and politically aware than would be available to a Minister from the permanent Civil Service. The rules for their appointment, and status in relation to ministers, are set out in the Ministerial Code . There is no legal limit on the number of special advisers, although the current total is less than it was under Tony Blair . The government had previously accepted calls, made in 2000 by

SECTION 20

#1732895504928

748-661: The Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life, for such a legal cap. By 2002, however, the government had altered its position, saying in response to the Wicks Committee report on standards in public life that "the Government does not believe that the issue of special advisers can be considered as a numerical issue. The issue is about being transparent, about accountability and about roles and responsibilities, as well as about numbers". The total cost of special advisers in 2006–07

782-624: The Union , and Minister for the Civil Service ) (Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer , respectively (Joint No10/HMT Economic Unit)) Special advisers have sometimes been criticised for engaging in advocacy while still on the government payroll or switching directly between lobbying roles and the special adviser role. Being a special adviser has become a frequent career stage for young politicians, before being elected Members of Parliament , which has attracted criticism. Fiction set within

816-404: The documents from their time in office). This set of rules is known as the "Radcliffe rules". Setting out the rules regarding special advisers (temporary civil servants who are political agents of the minister), how many each minister may appoint, and their powers and duties. Also covered is the appointment of Parliamentary Private Secretaries ( backbenchers who act as an unpaid secretary to

850-463: The earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister". Section 2, Ministers and the Government , sets out the precise rules of collective responsibility. It also states that ministers should relinquish all government material when ceasing to hold a role, and provides rules on access to government papers by former ministers (for example, those writing memoirs may wish to check

884-449: The expense of public funds. Ministers with a conflict of interest between their government role and their constituency (for example, a transport minister may have to balance the desire of his constituents not to have a new airport built near their town, with his government duties) are simply advised to act cautiously; "ministers are advised to take particular care." This section requires ministers to provide their Permanent Secretary with

918-448: The latter's obligations under his own ministerial code because if it had been rejected, he would have had to resign. On 15 June 2022, Geidt resigned from the role. The Scotsman said the reason for his resignation was that he was "tasked to offer a view about the Government's intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the Ministerial Code". The Daily Telegraph said he "had finally resigned over

952-498: The minister, to gain experience and credit with the party), whose appointments require written authority from the Prime Minister. PPSs are not members of the Government, but are expected to form part of the payroll vote , and support all government initiatives in the House of Commons . Ministers and Their Departments regards the machinery of government (the structure of government departments and how responsibilities can be transferred), and how ministers should ensure that their work

986-529: The ministerial code." On 28 April 2021, Johnson appointed Lord Geidt to succeed Allan as the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests. On 28 May 2021, Geidt published a report on allegations surrounding the financing of refurbishments made to 11 Downing Street . The report concluded that Johnson did not breach the Ministerial Code and that no conflict of interest, or reasonably perceived conflict of interest, arose. However, Geidt expressed that it

1020-927: The organisation included Rosemary Stewart . Teddy Chester and Reg Revans both worked for the trust before moving to the University of Manchester , as did David Layton . The Trust's archives are held at the London School of Economics . It was closed down in 2000. Special advisers (UK government) King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee A Special Adviser , also known as

1054-583: Was "unwise" for Johnson to have proceeded with refurbishments without "more rigorous regard for how this would be funded". In December 2021 it was reported that Geidt was considering resigning his role as standards adviser because Johnson had withheld information from him during his inquiry into the flat refurbishment controversy. The Conservative Party was fined £17,800 for improperly declaring this donation. Nick Cohen commented in The Guardian that "Lord Geidt, Johnson's ministerial standards adviser, now cuts

Acton Society Trust - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-631: Was a confidential document prepared by the Cabinet Office to assist ministers, and dates to at least the 1980s. The earliest published form of the Code is a result of the QPM's release by the Major Government in 1992. Further editions have been based on suggestions and recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life . The first edition to be entitled Ministerial Code was Tony Blair 's 1997 set of rules. By convention, each new Prime Minister issues their own version. The most recent version

1122-564: Was released in December 2022. When Gordon Brown came into office in June 2007 he appointed Sir Philip Mawer , Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards , as the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests – a form of enforcer to conduct investigations and give confidential advice. The Adviser under Tony Blair was Comptroller and Auditor General Sir John Bourn . The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for clearing ministers' financial matters. The Code

1156-515: Was £5.9 million, which has since increased to £15.9 million in 2022-2023. There are four pay bands for special advisers. As of 31 March 2020, there were 101.7 full-time equivalent special advisers working for the government. As of July 2021, the following advisers were included in a government list of special advisers in Pay Band 4: ( Prime Minister , First Lord of the Treasury , Minister for

#927072