By Ben Kerrigan-
The re-appointment of Suella Braverman(pictured) as Home Secretary after she broke ministerial rules sets a “dangerous precedent”, MPs have concluded
Prime Minister Rushi Sunak has been heavily criticised after appointing Bruverman who was sacked from her role then given the job back six days later when Mr Sunak became PM.
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However, Mr Sunak has inexplicably resisted demands to launch an inquiry into Ms Braverman, who broke the Ministerial Code by sharing a sensitive document with a Tory backbencher from a personal email without permission.
At this early stage of his premiership, the level of his integrity is already being brought into question as a result of his refusal to examine the legitimacy of her appointment as Home Secretary.
Alo unhelpful is the fact that Sunak has failed to appoint an independent ethics adviser after the resignation of Christopher Geidt, who quit after months of revelations about lockdown-breaking parties in No 10.
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The failure has been linked to the prime minister’s refusal to give whoever occupies that position full control over the extent of any investigations that may arise without having a say in their outcome.
The public administration and constitutional affairs committee has issued a new report recommending the Business Appointment Rules, governing what employment ministers and senior officials can take up after leaving Government, are expanded and made legally enforceable to act as a “sufficient deterrent” for improper conduct.
The committee also said reappointing Ms Braverman sets a “dangerous precedent” for how breaches of the code are dealt with.
The Cabinet Office said: “We have been clear that this government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level … We will respond to the committee’s recommendations in due course.”
Sunak took office in October pledging a return to sombre and ethical government after the turbulence of the tenures of Truss and her predecessor, Boris Johnson.
Sunak has failed to appoint an independent ethics adviser after the resignation of Christopher Geidt, who quit after months of revelations about lockdown-breaking parties in No 10.
They committee said the leaking of restricted material would be worthy of “significant sanction” under the new rules introduced by Boris Johnson in May this year, saying a new Prime Minister should not be able to simply “wipe the slate clean” when it comes to appointing ministers.
Its chair, Tory MP William Wragg, said: “It is incumbent on the Government to ensure a robust and effective system for upholding standards in public life is put in place, with proper sanctions for those who break the rules.
“Our inquiry has found that although we have a sophisticated landscape of ethics watchdogs in the UK to safeguard standards in public life, they lack the power to enforce the rules.
“The Prime Minister is rightly the ultimate arbiter of the rules in our system.
“We urge him to show leadership and give legal status to all the ethics watchdogs.
“This will provide a better deterrent for those who may be tempted to act improperly, and further safeguard the integrity of our public life.”
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner accused Mr Sunak of running a “rotten ethics regime”.
She tweeted: “The buck stops with the PM. But despite the promises of integrity Rishi Sunak has no plan to restore standards after years of sleaze and scandal.
“He’s showing every sign of attempting to preserve the rotten ethics regime of his disgraced predecessors.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the Home Secretary’s sacking, accusing Mr Sunak of brokering a “grubby deal trading security for support” in the Tory leadership contest, which he won after receiving Ms Braverman’s backing.
The Prime Minister has insisted Ms Braverman has “learned from her mistake” and that he does not regret the appointment despite some Conservative MPs adding their voices to the backlash.
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