Yet more ex-ministers pick up lucrative jobs in the private sector

RECORD numbers of former ministers and civil servants are moving straight into lucrative posts in business, a watchdog revealed last night.

It said the ‘revolving door’ scandal, where politicians and officials take up positions in the same sectors they dealt with in public office, is getting worse.

Last year, 33 ex-ministers were cleared to take up 123 jobs – the highest on record, said the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

Concern about the potential conflict of interest has led to the committee doubling the number of times it has made people wait up to two years before starting their new roles.

Two weeks ago, it was criticised for allowing the most senior civil servant in the Treasury to become chairman of a private bank accused of ‘exploiting’ off-shore finance services.

ACOBA said it had no problems with Sir Nicholas Macpherson, who left public office in April, taking up the role at C Hoare & Co just six months later. The watchdog’s annual report also revealed that Sir Eric Pickles was cleared to become director of a waste management company. As Communities Secretary, he led a failed drive to save weekly bin collections.

Nick Clegg, the former Liberal Democrat leader, has been given the go-ahead to take up six jobs.

They include being an after-dinner speaker, a columnist for the London Evening Standard and establishing a think-tank.

Last night Tamasin Cave, director of public transparency campaign group Spinwatch, called on Theresa May to take action.

‘The previous government under David Cameron was big on rhetoric but bloody useless on sorting out lobbying,’ she said. ‘Let’s see if the new administration can get a grip on this. We have always said that public trust is seriously damaged if you have lobbyists, including senior ministers, stalking Westminster – and now in this report it is writ large.’

Earlier this year, the Daily Mail highlighted how scores of ministers and officials are still cashing in on their time in office with lucrative jobs in the private sector, despite pledges by Mr Cameron to act.

In many cases, they are working in the very sectors they regulated while in government.

ACOBA’s report for 2015/16

Daily Mail, May 3, 2016 concluded: ‘The most significant trend was the apparently increasing tendency for individuals to seek to take up appointments in business or other sectors with which they have had dealings while in public office.’

For this reason, the committee has told more leavers not to take up their jobs for a specified time to avoid conflicts of interest.

It said it was ‘instructive’ that waiting periods were recommended for 13 appointments in 2015/16 compared to seven in 2014/15. Over the past year, the committee advised no fewer than 33 ex-ministers on 123 appointments.

This is up sharply from 19 exministers asking advice on 49 jobs the year before, making 2015/16 the highest on record.

The trend was largely down to the large number of Liberal Democrats leaving government after the last election.

This compared to 2010/11, the year after Labour was kicked out of office, when ACOBA was asked its advice on far fewer appointments for former ministers – around 90.

The latest report also showed the committee advised 36 former civil servants on 110 posts. This compared to 41 civil servants and 89 jobs the year before. Overall, the Foreign Office was the most lucrative department for seeking jobs after politics.

It was followed closely by the business department, the Cabinet Office (including No 10), spy agency GCHQ, the Energy Department and the Treasury.

Among civil servants, one of the more striking appointments has been Sir Nicholas.

He was made permanent secretary in 2005 and has worked under three chancellors – Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling and George Osborne.

Sir Nicholas hit the headlines during the Scottish referendum campaign when he put his name to an anti-independence document.

ACOBA found that there was no conflict of interest in his new job, including no ‘ reasonable perception of reward with the move’ for any party. It is not known whether the role is paid.

The committee merely said he ‘should not become personally involved in lobbying’ the Government or making use of public sector contacts for the bank for two years from leaving the Civil Service.

C Hoare & Co and Sir Eric were asked to comment but had not responded by the time the Mail went to press.