Boris Johnson’s ‘blatant’ breach over Daily Mail column shows rules must be toughened, Commons watchdog warns
Boris Johnson’s decision to announce his new job as a newspaper columnist before seeking approval was a “clear and unambiguous breach” of ministerial rules which shows the process must be reformed, the watchdog has warned.
The ex-prime minister was unveiled as the new Daily Mail columnist before seeking clearance from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which rules on conflicts of interests for former government employees.
Acoba chair Lord Eric Pickles has cited his blatant disregard for the rules, and lack of available sanctions to punish Mr Johnson, as “further illustration of how out of date” the process is.
He argued Acoba should be able to impose sanctions for those who do not abide by the rules, rather than adopting the current good faith approach which outlines guidance only.
In a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, Lord Pickles said the “requirement for former ministers to seek and abide by Acoba’s advice is set out clearly in the Ministerial Code”, pointing specifically to the line stating ex-ministers must not take up new jobs before the committee provides advice.
“Mr Johnson’s case is a further illustration of how out of date the Government’s business rules are,” he went on.
“They were designed to offer guidance when ‘good chaps’ could be relied on to observe the letter and the spirit of the rules. If it ever existed, that time has long passed and the contemporary world has outgrown the rules.”
Lord Pickles said there is a risk of “further scandal” if ministers do not extend the advice period and introduce sanctions for non-compliance.
He added: “What action to take in relation to this breach is a matter for the Government. I suggest that you take into consideration the low-risk nature of the appointment itself, and the need to reform the system to deal with roles in proportion to the risks posed.”
Acoba accused Mr Johnson of breaching the ministerial rules when news of his appointment as a regular columnist for the paper was announced on 16 June.
The watchdog is frequently accused of being “toothless” because it cannot impose sanctions on former ministers and civil servants who do not follow the guidelines.
The rules are in place to avoid suspicion that an appointment might be a reward for past favours and to mitigate a risk a minister could exploit privileged access to Government contacts.
Correspondence published by the watchdog on Tuesday showed how Mr Johnson’s office put in the last-minute request for advice after his new role had been cryptically trailed on the Mail‘s front page.
The newspaper published a silhouette of Mr Johnson with a teaser announcing they had a new star columnist on Thursday 15 June.
Shelley Williams-Walker, who followed Mr Johnson out of No 10 and into his private office before being made a dame in his resignation honours, emailed in a request for guidance about the appointments at 12.31pm the following day, when the column was due to be published.
Half an hour later a pre-recorded video was tweeted by the Mail showing Mr Johnson confirming his appointment.
Acoba responded stating that media reports suggesting Mr Johnson had taken up the position before the request for guidance about taking the job.
A response from Mr Johnson to a request for clarity from Acoba was sent less than 20 minutes before the 5pm deadline the committee set.
“I have not signed any contract or been paid,” the former MP argued. “If you have any objection to my signing a contract in the next few weeks perhaps you could let me know. I would appreciate an urgent reply.”
