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Entire UK government breaks ministerial code by failing to declare interests

Rishi Sunak’s failure to appoint ethics adviser means ministers are unable to comply with twice-yearly requirement

Entire UK government breaks ministerial code by failing to declare interests
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak holds his first cabinet meeting in October 2022. The entire government is now in breach of the ministerial code after Sunak's failure to appoint an independent ethics adviser in time for the six-monthly List of Ministers' Interests to be updated | PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
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The entire British government appears to have broken its own ministerial code by failing to declare any conflicts of interest since May.

It is now six months since the UK government last published what is supposed to be its twice-yearly List of Ministers’ Interests, detailing outside interests and dealings for each minister. But Rishi Sunak’s government has been unable even to begin this work, which takes weeks, after failing to appoint the ethics adviser whose job it is to oversee the regime.

It leaves open the possibility that there are scores of undeclared interests held by government ministers.