Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kate Devlin

Rishi Sunak accused of failing to order probe into 17 potential breaches of ministerial code

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rishi Sunak has been accused of eroding the public’s trust in politics by failing to order investigations into more than a dozen potential breaches of strict ethics rules during his time as prime minister.

The Liberal Democrats say he presided over 17 possible violations of the ministerial code in 18 months, none of which were referred to his ethics adviser.

The accusation comes as the Conservative Party’s election campaign is embroiled in a betting scandal.

The Westminster gambling row deepened late on Tuesday when a cabinet minister revealed he had placed bets on the date of the general election.

Scotland secretary Alister Jack denied he had broken any rules, but said he put three wagers on the timing of the 4 July poll, becoming the latest of seven politicians and officials to be drawn into the controversy.

Earlier Sir Keir Starmer took aim at Mr Sunak’s leadership ability over the betting scandal, accusing the prime minister of “failing to grasp the nettle” and take action quickly enough.

Rishi Sunak at a Conservative general election campaign event in Edinburgh on Monday (AP)

Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Lib Dems, who compiled the list, accused the Tory government of being “besieged by sleaze”.

“Their brazen disregard for the rules has torn up standards in public life and eroded trust in our political system,” she said.

And she said Mr Sunak had “proven himself too weak to take any action on the slew of Conservative scandals under his leadership”.

The Lib Dems say they would stamp out sleaze by enshrining the ministerial code in law and make the government’s ethics adviser fully independent, a move they say would stop ministers “marking their own homework”.

Cases cited by the Lib Dems include Rishi Sunak’s wife’s shares in a childcare company which could have benefited from a government scheme.

The party also pointed to cabinet minister Michelle Donelan’s use of £34,000 of taxpayers’ money to cover libel damages.

And that no action was taken over allegations against Mark Menzies, who disputes claims he used thousands of pounds of party funds to pay off people who had locked him in a flat, before the story hit the headlines.

Scotland secretary Alister Jack has admitted he made bets – but denied wrongdoing (PA)

The Libs Dems say cases that warranted an investigation occurred almost once a month since the appointment of Mr Sunak’s ethics adviser in December 2022.

One of his predecessors, Boris Johnson, lost an ethics adviser in 2020 when Sir Alex Allan quit after he was overruled over a report into alleged bullying by the then home secretary Priti Patel.

The Lib Dems say other potential breaches of the ministerial code included Nadhim Zahawi’s legal threats to campaigners and journalists, including The Independent, over his tax affairs.

Ms Cooper said that the Tories had been “besieged by sleaze” and that her party’s plans would “end the cycle of scandals”.

The Conservatives have been approached for comment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.