London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Labour calls vote to give MPs power to appoint new ethics chief

Labour calls vote to give MPs power to appoint new ethics chief

Labour has called a vote which would give MPs the power to hold ministers to account if Boris Johnson's former ethics chief is not replaced.

Lord Geidt resigned on Wednesday after he said he was put in an "impossible and odious" position by the PM.

But Mr Johnson has yet to commit to appointing a successor.

Labour's proposals, if passed, would enable a committee to appoint an independent ethics adviser if the role is unfulfilled for two months.

The motion will be put to the Commons on Tuesday, with Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner saying the role needed to be "urgently reformed".

Lord Geidt's role was to advise the PM on the ministerial code - a set of rules governing standards of behaviour.

In announcing his resignation, he said he had been asked for advice on an issue he believed would amount to a deliberate breach of the code.

"This request has placed me in an impossible and odious position," wrote Lord Geidt in his resignation letter.

The former ethics chief also said he had come close to quitting over the Covid-law breaking in Downing Street.

Downing Street accepted that Lord Geidt fulfilled a "vitally important" role, but said the prime minister was reviewing the position and could abolish it.

Labour's proposals would give powers to the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee to appoint an independent adviser on possible breaches of the code and initiate its own investigations.

The new "adviser on ministers' interests" would advise the committee on any potential violations and on the effectiveness of the ministerial code.

They would need to consider any possible breaches referred to them and could also conduct their own investigations, the Labour party said.

Ms Rayner said it was time for Conservative MPs to back the proposals to "clean up politics".

"Labour will put No 10 in special measures to prevent this prime minister running roughshod over the rules, dodging accountability and degrading standards in public life," she said.

Lord Geidt was the second ethics adviser to quit under Mr Johnson, after Sir Alex Allan left in 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The War Map: Professor Jiang’s Dark Theory of Iran, Trump, China, Russia, Israel, and the Coming Global Shock [Podcast]
The End of the Old Order [Podcast]
Labour Is No Longer a National Party [Podcast]
Lawyers vs Engineers: Why China Builds While America Litigates [Podcast]
The AI Gold Rush Is Coming for America’s Last Open Spaces [Podcast]
The Pentagon’s AI Squeeze: Eight Tech Giants Get In, Anthropic Gets Shut Out [Podcast]
AI Isn’t Stealing Your Job. It’s Dismantling It Piece by Piece.
Kennedy’s Quiet War on Antidepressants Sparks Alarm Across America’s Medical Establishment
Britain’s Democracy Is Now a Costume
Churchill’s Glass: The Drunk, the Doctor, and the Myth Britain Refuses to Sober Up From
The Met Gala Meets the Age of Billionaire Backlash
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Gunfire Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Trump Is Evacuated
A Leak, a King, and a Fracturing Alliance
Inside the Gates Foundation Turmoil: Layoffs, Scrutiny, and the Cost of Reputational Risk
UK Biobank Breach Exposes Health Data of 500,000, Listed for Sale on Chinese Platform
KPMG Cuts Around 10% of US Audit Partners After Failed Exit Push
French Police Probe Suspected Weather-Data Tampering After Unusual Polymarket Bets on Paris Temperatures
CATL Unveils Revolutionary EV Battery Tech: 1000 km Range and 7-Minute Charging Ahead of Beijing Auto Show
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
×