Michael Gove has been urged to “come clean over whether or not he misled Parliament” after he claimed the government was “seeking to find” a new ethics adviser.
openDemocracy can reveal that the role, which has been vacant for more than four months, has never actually been advertised. This has prompted opposition MPs to warn that “any indication” Gove misled the Commons should be taken “incredibly seriously”.
A report published by openDemocracy two weeks ago told how the government is in breach of the Ministerial Code after failing to release an up-to-date list of financial interests. This means that large payments to the prime minister and other senior politicians may have been kept secret for months.
Publication of the list has been delayed because the independent adviser who oversees it has not been replaced since the last officeholder, Alex Allan – who is still listed as the “current” adviser on the government’s website – resigned in November in protest over the ‘bullying’ inquiry into home secretary Priti Patel.
Last week, Gove told Labour's Rachel Reeves that the government is "seeking to find someone who is suitably independent, experienced and authoritative for this critical role".
openDemocracy has repeatedly asked the Cabinet Office to provide any evidence that steps have been taken to fill the role – including asking to see a job description, advert, or timetable for recruitment. None has been provided.
Responding to our finding, Reeves said: "It's absolutely essential the government discloses at what stage the recruitment of the independent adviser on ministerial standards is.
“Any indication that a minister may have misled the house should be taken incredibly seriously."
Pete Wishart, the SNP's shadow leader of the house, said: “Michael Gove must come clean over whether or not he misled Parliament.”
He added: “Boris Johnson's Tories have form in dodging accountability and his government is driven by a complete lack of transparency.”
No evidence of any attempt to fill the role
It is believed that Gove’s comments in Parliament last week – which emerged only while being pressed in ‘urgent questions’ – were the government’s first public acknowledgement that candidates are still required. Four and a half months into the unfilled vacancy, Gove committed himself to “work...to ensure that the broadest possible range of candidates can be identified.”
“Whoever is put forward for that role can appropriately by this House be scrutinised in order to make sure that we can satisfy ourselves about their appropriateness for that role,” Gove said.
Gove’s comments caused bewilderment, because MPs have no role in appointing or vetting this civil service role.
"At best this is incompetence with the process not even starting since the former adviser resigned four months ago,” Reeves told openDemocracy. “At worst the Conservatives may be looking for somebody without advertising, throwing into serious question whether the person appointed will truly be independent in a role that requires the utmost integrity.”
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