Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A new set of rules will come into effect in October that will prevent ministers who leave office due to serious breaches of ministerial standards from receiving pay-outs. This move is part of a larger effort by the government to improve standards in politics. Additionally, former ministers who take up positions that violate post-government employment rules will be required to repay any severance payments they received.
In response to criticisms of its toothless nature, the existing watchdog, the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (Acoba), will be replaced. The functions of Acoba will be divided among existing bodies, and a new Ethics and Integrity Commission will take over for the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The commission will be led by Lt Gen Doug Chalmers, a former military chief and current chair of the committee.
Currently, ministers are entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months’ salary when they leave office, regardless of how long they served. The changes will now prevent ministers who served less than six months or who left due to serious breaches of the Ministerial Code from receiving this payment. The government will also strengthen the process for vetting post-government jobs to ensure compliance with rules, with former ministers facing financial penalties if they breach them.
Transparency International UK has welcomed the new rules but cautioned that without legally enforceable penalties, rule-breakers may still escape punishment. The Liberal Democrats have praised the measures as a step in the right direction after years of Conservative scandals that damaged public life standards. Labour, on the other hand, has long promised to enhance regulations on post-government jobs and lobbying, advocating for these changes in its election manifesto
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.