London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Sir Laurie Magnus: Rishi Sunak appoints ex-banker as ethics chief, although it's like appointing a prostitute as the head the church

Sir Laurie Magnus: Rishi Sunak appoints ex-banker as ethics chief, although it's like appointing a prostitute as the head the church

Rishi Sunak appoints veteran banker Sir Laurie Magnus to the role, despite being a ex-banker. The ethics chief job has been vacant since June, and with a banker in that position, ethics can anyway remain a kid’s fairy tale…

Rishi Sunak has appointed veteran banker Sir Laurie Magnus as his new adviser on ministerial behaviour.

The prime minister has been facing pressure to fill the role, which has been empty since the previous holder quit six months ago.

Sir Laurie, who also chairs Historic England, has been appointed to a non-renewable five-year term.

He will be responsible for advising Mr Sunak on whether ministers are complying with their conduct rulebook.

However, the prime minister will retain the power to decide whether ministers have broken the code, and on any subsequent punishments.

Boris Johnson's ethics adviser Lord Geidt quit in June after conceding Mr Johnson may have himself broken ministerial rules over Partygate.

His predecessor, Sir Alex Allan, quit in 2020 after Mr Johnson overruled him over a report into alleged bullying by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Mr Sunak's predecessor as prime minister Liz Truss signalled during the summer Tory leadership she would not appoint anyone to the role, telling party members "I don't think you can outsource ethics to an adviser".

But Mr Sunak said filling the role was a priority when he took office in October, promising to restore "integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level".

Sir Laurie will not lead the ongoing investigation into deputy PM Dominic Raab, who is facing eight complaints about his behaviour in previous government roles.

A senior lawyer, Adam Tolley KC, was appointed to lead that probe last month, when the PM's adviser role was still unfilled. Mr Raab faces allegations he bullied staff, which he denies.


Who is Sir Laurie Magnus?


*  Worked in financial services for 40 years, and is listed as a senior adviser at investment banking group Evercore

*  Former deputy chairman of the National Trust, he was appointed chairman of Historic England in 2013, then known as English Heritage

*  Sat on the board of the government's Culture Recovery Fund, set up to help cultural bodies during the Covid pandemic

*  Educated at Eton College and Oxford University, his title of 'Sir' is from the baronetcy he inherited from his uncle

*  Awarded a CBE in the late Queen's 2022 New Year's Honours list, for services to heritage

Opposition parties and the Committee on Standards in Public Life, an anti-sleaze watchdog, have long called for the PM's adviser role to be beefed up.

They argue the role is ineffective because the adviser cannot decide to launch their own investigations, and the PM decides whether the ministerial code has been broken.

Mr Sunak, however, has decided that Sir Laurie should keep the same remit and powers as the previous holders of the role.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner criticised Mr Sunak for keeping the "rotten ethics regime he inherited from his predecessors".

"This weak prime minister is failing to deliver the integrity he promised, and instead has installed yet another toothless watchdog," she added.

Dave Penman, the boss of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, said Mr Sunak had missed an opportunity to "reset the relationship" between ministers and officials.

"Instead of that, he's followed exactly the same path as Boris Johnson did. So essentially he's continuity Johnson when it comes to the ministerial code," he added.


Statues controversy


Historic England, a public body, is responsible for caring for and listing historic buildings and sites.

As chairman, Sir Laurie oversaw the body's response to the toppling of a statue of 17th Century slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol in 2020 - which prompted a debate about the public commemoration of figures linked to the slave trade.

Later that year, Sir Laurie told MPs that Historic England's preference was to keep "contested" statues standing in public places - but to "re-contextualise and reinterpret" them through actions like updated inscriptions and artistic installations.

"If we do not do that, our collective past is going to be torn away slowly, piece-by-piece," he added.

"If we start tampering with the historic fabric associated with our collective past because things are contentious, we start changing the basis on which we can understand it."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×