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Sir Grant Shapps, the former Conservative defence secretary, has stepped down from his position at Cambridge Aerospace following an investigation by a ministerial ethics watchdog. His resignation on 30 April came amid concerns about whether he adhered to the rules governing the employment of former ministers, particularly after the company won a significant government contract for missile production.
Although he held the title of chairman at Cambridge Aerospace, Sir Grant stated that he had no involvement in the military contract or the company’s defence-related activities. He clarified that he never chaired the board nor acted as a director, describing himself instead as “one of several co-founders.” Despite this, the ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus criticized him for creating a “perception of impropriety” and failing to maintain the standards expected under the rules.
Sir Grant Shapps had served as defence secretary under the leadership of Rishi Sunak and held various ministerial roles during his political career. He represented the Welwyn Hatfield constituency as a Conservative MP from 2005 until 2024, when he lost his seat in that year’s general election. His involvement with Cambridge Aerospace was initially approved by the now-defunct Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) in 2025, which stipulated that he must avoid any defence-related work for two years following his departure from government.
However, this approval was met with skepticism from several quarters, including anti-corruption campaigners and Labour MP Phil Brickell, who questioned the company’s claim of focusing on “civilian aerospace,” pointing out that Cambridge Aerospace itself identifies as operating in “defence tech.” Sir Laurie Magnus raised concerns directly with Sir Grant, noting that the company’s primary project appeared to be defence-related, casting doubt on whether the original conditions were being upheld. The inquiry was triggered after Cambridge Aerospace’s public announcement on 10 April of a contract to supply “Skyhammer” interceptor missiles to the UK and allied Gulf states. Sir Laurie remarked that this was “at direct variance” with how Sir Grant had originally described his role, highlighting the difficulty of reconciling Cambridge Aerospace’s activities with the requirement to avoid defence matters.
In response to the watchdog’s letters, Sir Grant maintained that he had “scrupulously” adhered to Acoba’s regulations and insisted that he was not involved “in any way, at any time, in any capacity” with the missile contract. Nonetheless, he conceded that he had failed to seek further guidance as the firm expanded its defence work, attributing this to “an oversight for which the excessive speed of events is the only mitigating circumstance.” Sir Grant also declined to answer detailed questions on the matter, citing confidentiality obligations. Labour’s Phil Brickell welcomed his resignation but stressed the need for stricter penalties for former ministers who breach these ethical rules
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