Labour Party leader and Shadow First Secretary of State Angela Rayner slammed British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson for “trampling all over the principles in public life” after he amended the ministerial code of conduct to protect members of parliament (MPs) over serious breaches of conduct in light of the Partygate scandal.
Rayner said the PM had “watered down” the code to “save his own skin,” asserting that all breaches “must result in resignation.”
The Prime Minister is watering down the ministerial code to save his own skin.
— Anneliese Dodds 💙 (@AnnelieseDodds) May 29, 2022
It’s time to stop the rot that Boris Johnson has created at the heart of Government.
Labour will call a vote to restore standards in public life. Any Tory MP who wants rid of Johnson should back us. pic.twitter.com/rbu7sQjO2n
She added, “This prime minister simply cannot be trusted to uphold standards in government while his conduct sinks further into the gutter and he gives the green light to corruption.”
Similarly, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Standards Chris Bryant called the amended ministerial code a “disgrace” and “appalling.”
Only Boris Johnson is shameless enough to destroy the Ministerial Code because he knows he has repeatedly broken it.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 29, 2022
It’s why he’s unfit to be Prime Minister and should resign.
The document in question says that ministers that “knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the [PM].” On Friday, however, Johnson introduced a change that stipulates that “The final decision rests with the Prime Minister.” To this end, if the PM “retains confidence” in the minister that breached the code, they could impose other forms of punishments, including “some form of public apology, remedial action, or removal of ministerial salary for a period.”
While announcing the changes, the UK Government also released a statement saying, “It is disproportionate to expect that any breach, however minor, should lead automatically to resignation or dismissal.” The release also said that the government must acknowledge the “need to avoid incentives for trivial or vexatious complaints which may be made for partisan reasons.”
What do integrity, objectivity, accountability, transparency, and honesty have in common?
— Anneliese Dodds 💙 (@AnnelieseDodds) May 27, 2022
They're all words Boris Johnson just deleted from his foreword to the ministerial code.
Draw your own conclusions.
The new code also blocks Christopher Geidt, Johnson’s independent adviser, from launching his own investigation. Instead, it says that if the PM believes that an investigation into a breach is necessary, he can refer the case to the independent ethics chief. Additionally, the PM can also bar the independent adviser from initiating an investigation if there are “public interest reasons.” Moreover, the reason for the investigation not being conducted could also be kept from the public.
A statement by the government clarified that the independent adviser’s role is “advisory” and merely helps the PM make a decision on an issue.
The government underscored that the PM “has sole responsibility for the organisation” of the Cabinet, which includes all decisions on appointments, dismissals, and resignations. Nevertheless, the statement attempted to reassure that the ministers and PM remain accountable to the parliament and the public for their “actions and conduct.”
🗣STATEMENT ON SUE GRAY REPORT
— Julian Sturdy MP (@JulianSturdy) May 25, 2022
Following the publication of the full Sue Gray report, I feel it is now in the public interest for the Prime Minister to resign. pic.twitter.com/oXfkb7KmrS
The Johnson administration also justified its decision to make the changes without involving the House of Commons by saying that the Code is entirely a matter pertaining to the executive and is “wholly separate from the legislature.” In this regard, it argued that the the House of Common’s involvement would not be appropriate, as it would “undermine the constitutional settlement by conflating the executive and legislature” and create an imbalance in the separation of powers.
Despite opposition criticism, however, according to Tim Durrant, an expert at the Institute for Government, MPs have always had an option to opt for a more lenient punishment over breaches of the Ministerial code of conduct. He thus argues that Friday’s changes only explicitly clarified that such options are available.
The changes to the Ministerial Code of Conduct come as Johnson and other Ministers face severe pressure over the Partygate scandal. Last week, senior civil servant Sue Gray released the findings of a 60-page report that looked into 16 events conducted between May 2020 and April 2021 that violated COVID-19 lockdown protocols; the PM attended eight of these events.
Grey found that emails and communication between Johnson’s staff revealed that they planned the gatherings in advance despite some members warning that holding such events would be a bad idea. Apart from Johnson, the report also named several high-profile staff members, including Johnson’s former advisor Dominic Cummings, his Principal Secretary Martin Reynolds, and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
However, despite taking “full responsibility” for the multiple parties, Johnson has refused to resign from his post.