Boris Johnson 'considering' not replacing Lord Geidt as ethics adviser quits

Boris Johnson is "carefully considering" not replacing Lord Geidt after the ethics adviser quit with a scathing resignation letter that claimed the Prime Minister had urged him to consider a proposal that would have been a “deliberate and purposeful” breach of the ministerial code.

The former ethics adviser resigned on Wednesday evening in yet another blow to Mr Johnson, who has now seen two resignations from the role.

Downing Street said on Thursday instead of hiring a replacement, Mr Johnson would instead conduct a review into the “vitally important” function.

Lord Geidt had clung onto the role despite suggesting Mr Johnson may have broken the rules by being fined over ‘Partygate’ and having considered the controversial funding of the Downing Street flat refurb during an “especially busy year”.

Lord Geidt resigned on Wednesday

But he ultimately quit as ministerial interests’ adviser over a plan, thought to involve Chinese steel tariffs, that may breach British obligations to the World Trade Organisation.

Writing a letter to the Prime Minister, Lord Geidt said he was forced to quit when he was tasked with offering a view on the Government’s “intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the ministerial code”.

He wrote to the Prime Minister: “This week, however, I was tasked to offer a view about the Government’s intention to consider measures which risk a deliberate and purposeful breach of the ministerial code.

"This request has placed me in an impossible and odious position. My informal response on Monday was that you and any other minister should justify openly your position vis-a-vis the code in such circumstances.

"However, the idea that a Prime Minister might to any degree be in the business of deliberately breaching his own Code is an affront.

"A deliberate breach, or even an intention to do so, would be to suspend the provisions of the code to suit a political end.

”This would make a mockery not only of respect for the code, but licence the suspension of its provisions in governing the conduct of Her Majesty’s ministers.

"I can have no part in this. Because of my obligation as a witness in Parliament, this is the first opportunity I have had to act on the Government’s intentions. I therefore resign from this appointment with immediate effect.”

The Prime Minister’s response indicated that it was relating to advice on the Trade Remedies Authority, but Mr Johnson disputed he had plans to break the rules.

Instead he claimed his intention was to seek Lord Geidt’s “advice on the national interest in protecting a crucial industry”.

He said the unspecified industry “is protected in other European countries and would suffer material harm if we do not continue to apply such tariffs”.

Mr Johnson insisted the matter has previously had cross-party support and the request would be in line with domestic law, “but might be seen to conflict” with the UK’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation.

“In seeking your advice before any decision was taken, I was looking to ensure that we acted properly with due regard to the ministerial code,” Mr Johnson insisted.

Labour have demanded a direct replacement for Lord Geidt, citing that he was the second man to resign from the role during Mr Johnson’s premiership.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “There are now no ethics left in this Downing Street regime propped up in office by a Conservative Party mired in sleaze and totally unable to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing the British people.

“The Government must not only appoint a new watchdog, but back Labour’s plan to restore standards. This Prime Minister has debased standards and rigged the rules for far too long. It is time for the Conservatives to do the right thing and remove him from office.”

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Johnson would take time to “carefully consider” how best to fulfil the role of ensuring “rigorous oversight and scrutiny of ministerial interests”.

He said: “We haven’t made a final decision on how best to carry out that function, whether it relates to a specific individual or not.

“He [Mr Johnson] will carefully consider that before setting out the next steps.

“It could continue as it was before, but he hasn’t made a final decision on it.”

Downing Street also insisted the dispute was not linked to the financial interests of Mr Johnson or any minister.

Asked if the Prime Minister had requested advice related to his own finances that might be tangentially connected to the trade dispute, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No, or any other minister.”

Asked if it was linked to the Conservative Party’s finances, the spokesman said: “Not that I am aware of. I have seen speculation to that end, but that’s certainly not my understanding of it.”

However, the spokesman was unable to say exactly why Mr Johnson consulted Lord Geidt over the proposal, instead calling it a “relatively unusual situation”.

The review will delay finding a replacement, with the post having already been empty for five months before Lord Geidt succeeded Sir Alex Allan.

Sir Alex resigned in 2020 after the Prime Minister refused to accept his finding that home secretary Priti Patel had bullied civil servants.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman suggested there was no plan to wait for a new adviser before going ahead with the controversial plan that provoked Lord Geidt’s resignation.

Lord Geidt had endured a difficult appearance in front of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee (PACAC), where he was asked whether he had considered resigning.

Refusing to give a straight answer, he instead told MPs he had felt “frustration” and that the option of resignation was always “on the agenda”.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab suggested the appearance may have contributed to Lord Geidt’s decision to quit.

He explained: “I think he had a pretty rough grilling by MPs this week, I think sometimes we in the media and as politicians maybe underestimate how civil servants feel with that kind of scrutiny.”

The Liberal Democrats have now demanded Mr Johnson answer questions in Parliament over the claims he planned to deliberately breach the ministerial code.

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “It looks like Boris Johnson is planning to break his own rules yet again.

"The Prime Minister now needs to come to Parliament and answer questions about these extremely serious allegations.

“We urgently need more details about what exactly Boris Johnson is planning and why it would be a breach of the ministerial code.

“The public is sick of the constant lies and cover-ups by Boris Johnson and the Conservatives. They deserve the full truth now.”

SNP Cabinet Office spokesperson Brendan O’Hara said: “Another day, another scandal, another humiliation for the Prime Minister, as another sleaze adviser quits.”