Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ministerial Appointments

Thursday 6 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers have resigned for various reasons including fraud and corruption since July.
  • The ministerial code has been strengthened to uphold high standards of conduct.
  • The Government claims decisive action against Ministers who fail to meet the required standards.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gregory Stafford Con Farnham and Bordon
Standards & Ethics
Context

Three Ministers have resigned since July for various reasons including fraud and unwise entanglements in foreign affairs. This has raised concerns about the public's confidence in ministerial standards.

Question

Since July, three Ministers have had to resign for everything from fraud through to unwise entanglements in foreign affairs. What steps will the Minister take to strengthen the ministerial code so that the public can have confidence in the Ministers that this Prime Minister appoints?

Answer from Ellie Reeves (Minister without Portfolio)

We have strengthened the ministerial code, but we do not need to take advice from the Conservatives. What we have seen from this Prime Minister is decisive action to uphold ministerial standards. Compare that with the record of the previous Government where the shadow Foreign Secretary was found guilty of bullying but was allowed to keep her post; where the Government whipped their MPs to block the suspension of former Minister Owen Paterson, who broke lobbying rules; and where the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied about being told of allegations of sexual misconduct by his Deputy Chief Whip.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for specific steps to strengthen the ministerial code, but the response was largely a comparison with previous governments without addressing what specific actions will be taken.

How: Comparing With Previous Governments

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Q2 Mike Wood Con Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Standards & Ethics
Context

There have been multiple resignations of ministers, including a Transport Secretary over her criminal record and an anti-corruption Minister over corruption. This has raised concerns about the thoroughness of ministerial vetting processes.

Question

Despite the complacent response from the Minister, fewer than 250 days in, we have already had a Transport Secretary resign over her criminal record, an anti-corruption Minister resign over corruption, questions raised over the checks on the new Investment Minister, and at least three Cabinet Ministers accused of peddling dodgy CVs. The Prime Minister either cannot or will not say whether the necessary questions were not asked on appointment, whether relevant information was not disclosed on appointment, or whether he knew perfectly well about it but only took action when they were caught? Will the independent adviser conduct an urgent review of ministerial vetting?

Answer from Ellie Reeves (Minister without Portfolio)

The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office, unlike the previous Government. That is why decisive action has been taken. This is a Government in the service of working people, and we will not hesitate to take action against any Minister who fails to meet those high standards.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for an urgent review by the independent adviser, but the response was general in nature without addressing the specific request for a review.

How: General Statement About Upholding Standards

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