Oral Answers to Questions

Olly Glover Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

The Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked—

[Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)]

1. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the ministerial code.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Darren Jones)]

Good morning, Mr Speaker. It is nice to be back in the Chamber. [Laughter.]

Since coming into office, the Prime Minister has published a new and strengthened ministerial code that places emphasis on the importance of public service and new principles on gifts and hospitality, and includes strengthened powers for the independent adviser on ministerial standards. The Prime Minister has also introduced new rules on severance. Ministers who leave office after having been found to have seriously breached the code are expected to forgo their severance pay, and former Ministers who are found to have seriously breached the business appointment rules are expected to repay any severance too. Colleagues across the House will remember the spectacle of former Tory Minister after former Tory Minister receiving it during the last Parliament, but that has now ended under this Labour Government.

[Olly Glover]

I was reading the ministerial code just yesterday evening. Paragraph 2.1 states:

“The Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.”

That provides clarity on how Ministers can be held to account by the Prime Minister. However, as the old saying goes, “Who watches the watchmen?” When there is a concern about whether the Prime Minister’s conduct goes against the ministerial code, does the Minister agree that the code itself needs strengthening so that the PM can be held to its standards?

[Darren Jones]

I reassure the hon. Member and the House that the ultimate accountability for the Prime Minister is both to this House and to the public at a general election.