Standards watchdog urges Conservative leadership candidates to commit to implementing recommendations of 2021 Upholding Standards in Public Life report

Lord Evans, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), has called on Tory leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to commit to implementing the recommendations in the watchdog’s 2021 report Upholding Standards in Public Life.

The independent CSPL advises the Prime Minister on arrangements for upholding standards of public life and promotes the seven ‘Nolan Principles’ of Honesty, Objectivity, Openness, Selflessness, Integrity, Accountability and Leadership.

In separate but identical letters to both candidates, Lord Evans said: “We would like to draw your attention to our report Upholding Standards in Public Life, published last year, which recommends greater independence, stronger rules and a more formal compliance culture in central government. 

“High standards help set the framework within which politics and policy is conducted in our country, and the Committee would greatly welcome your commitment to taking forward our recommendations.

“We see this moment as an opportunity to re-engage with some of these longstanding issues and to reassure the public that the Nolan Principles remain at the heart of public life in the UK.”

The Upholding Standards in Public Life report updates the Nolan Principle of Leadership, to cover better the issue of respect.

During its review, the committee found that the standards regulators in government were "not sufficiently independent" and recommended several stronger ethics rules to address this, including that the government develop a formal compliance function.

The report also found:

  • The scope of the Business Appointment Rules should be expanded, and the rules should be enforced through legal arrangements
  • Reforms to the powers of the Commissioner for Public Appointments are needed to provide a better guarantee of the independence of assessment panels
  • Transparency around lobbying is poor and requires better coordination and more frequent publication by the Cabinet Office

The report concluded that the CSPL’s recommendations are necessary to rebuild public confidence in the regulation of ethical standards in government.

The CSPL is currently carrying out a review to examine the role of leadership in embedding the Seven Principles of Public Life in public sector organisations.