The UK government's failure to establish an independent ethics watchdog is under investigation nearly a year after the elections. Keir Starmer's Labour pledged to create a body to uphold ministerial integrity and combat lobbying abuses. However, no details were prepared for the commission after Starmer took office. While a new ministerial code allows investigations into misconduct, overall ethics regulations remain largely unchanged. Government officials claim efforts are ongoing, yet the lack of progress has raised concerns about public trust and accountability among ministers.
Amid signs that the plans have been kicked into the long grass, parliament's public administration committee said it was launching an inquiry to push the government on what has happened to its ethics commitments.
The party promised to restore confidence in government and ensure ministers are held to the highest standards, and to enforce restrictions on ministers lobbying for companies they used to regulate.
However, there was no blueprint for a commission ready to go when Starmer formed the government last year.
Government sources insisted work was ongoing on the ethics and integrity commission, but also suggested that voters care more about tough outcomes in relation to misconduct than about the process of setting up new bodies.
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