Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is moving to overhaul the oversight of post-government appointments, replacing the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) with a new independent body designed to enforce stricter ethical standards across public life. The proposed Ethics and Integrity Commission, expected to be formally unveiled in the coming weeks, will consolidate several watchdog functions and take on a more assertive role in regulating the conduct of former ministers and other public officials.

Keir Starmer

Advisory Committee on Business Appointments

The initiative marks one of the Labour government’s flagship reforms, rooted in a 2021 pledge to “restore trust in politics” following a series of high-profile controversies that eroded confidence in the integrity of public office. Labour’s manifesto had promised to strengthen ethical oversight mechanisms, arguing that existing structures lacked the authority to properly hold officials to account.

Labour Party (UK)

At the centre of the proposed changes is the introduction of a statutory “duty of candour” for public officials. This element, aligned with the so-called Hillsborough Law first proposed in response to state failings during the 1989 disaster, is intended to compel greater transparency from individuals in power and ensure a clearer responsibility to disclose wrongdoing. “This is about changing the culture at the top,” a government spokesperson said, speaking on background. “Public service must mean full accountability, not just lip service.”

Hillsborough Law

The new commission will take over many of Acoba’s core duties, including reviewing the employment of former ministers and civil servants who move into private-sector roles. Under the current system, the committee’s recommendations are non-binding, and there are no legal consequences for failing to follow its advice — a limitation that has led many critics to describe it as ineffective.

Advisory Committee on Business Appointments

While the government has stressed its intention to give the new body meaningful powers, the extent of its authority remains unclear. There has so far been no confirmation that the commission will be able to issue fines, block appointments, or compel testimony — all tools that some campaigners argue are necessary to drive genuine reform.

“If this is just a rebadge of existing structures, it risks repeating the same failures,” said one transparency advocate, who asked not to be named. “There’s a real opportunity here, but it depends on whether the commission is truly independent and fully equipped to act.”

Structurally, the Ethics and Integrity Commission will work alongside — but independent from — existing parliamentary standards bodies. By centralising responsibility for regulating ministerial conduct, lobbying activities and post-public employment, Downing Street hopes to create a more transparent and joined-up system. However, with several oversight functions remaining dispersed across Whitehall, questions persist about how integration will be achieved in practice.

Parliamentary standards

Downing Street

Whitehall

The announcement comes at a time when the government is juggling several high-stakes policy battles, including dissent within its own ranks over welfare reform and growing pressure to clarify its position on climate policy. In that context, the push to demonstrate progress on ethics could serve as a symbol of Labour’s broader attempt to define its governing approach in contrast to that of its predecessors.

Labour Party (UK)

For now, ministers are projecting confidence that the commission will signal a shift in standards at the highest level of British politics. “The Ethics and Integrity Commission will play a central role in cleaning up public life,” a senior official noted. “But ultimately, its success will depend on more than structure — it will come down to the political will to act when the moment demands it.”