UK Politics needs a deep clean

 

The following is an edited extract from an article by John Penrose on the Capx web site

                      UK Politics needs a deep clean

Why Labour’s integrity reforms fall short

For example, the new rules to stop severance payments for Ministers who take plush jobs lobbying parts of government they were leading a few months before are welcome but too weak. They won’t stop anyone whose new job pays more than the severance they’re losing; they ought to cover senior political advisers as well as Ministers; and the equivalent rules for senior Whitehall mandarins aren’t always enforced properly either.

The transparency improvements which have been promised to show who has met Government Ministers and mandarins, and what was discussed, are essential and welcome. But they need to cover political advisers as well, and need to be searchable to ensure there’s no special treatment or access for people who’ve made political donations. And the same goes for the promised new rules controlling who sees secret Government briefings, so they can’t be shared for profit – as the police are investigating in the latest Mandelson case.

Equally, some rules on conflicts of interest look too narrow if they assume political favours are only done for profit. There are plenty of reasons why non-profits like charities, labour unions and religious bodies also want to bend the ears of Ministers, mandarins and advisers. Most will be fine but, inevitably, a few won’t. So assuming they are all pure as the driven snow just because there’s no profit involved is naïve and dangerous.

Political honours fuel charges of cronyism

Political honours should be included in the reforms and pared back sharply. Otherwise, every New Year and King’s Birthday Honours list will continue to attract accusations of cronyism. Such claims undermine what ought to be a joyful celebration of British achievement and public service. Instead of showing that our country is a genuinely fair and meritocratic aristocracy of talent, the current system reinforces the perception that we are a society where a gilded elite rewards its friends.

Last but not least, all these risks aren’t confined to Westminster and Whitehall either. Quangos, devolved governments and local councils are all vulnerable in one way or another, so any integrity reset needs to cover them thoroughly, rather than leaving reforms to an unspecified date that may never come.

If the Government is serious about tackling the integrity crisis in UK politics and restoring public trust, it will need more than symbolic reform. An integrity reset is still possible and, given this Government’s ever-growing list of scandals, it’s probably more important than ever. But this time, it will take an even bigger bucket of disinfectant to get the job done.