Report says politicians need tougher scrutiny
Man gored by bull dies in Spain
A 55-YEAR-OLD Spanish man bled to death after being gored in the leg by a bull during a festival in which the animals are released into the streets, local authorities said yesterday.
The town hall of Onda, in the Spanish province of Castellon, said it would suspend Sunday’s last day of bull-running following the goring on Saturday afternoon during the annual festival.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save him. It is the first known death during a running-of-thebulls since the festivals returned to many towns across Spain after a pandemic-imposed pause.
Despite occasional casualties and growing opposition from animal rights groups, racing bulls or cows remains a popular tradition in the country.
POLITICIANS with “poor ethical standards” should face tougher sanctions, including apologies, fines, and resignations, a review by the anti-corruption watchdog has claimed while calling for a radical overhaul of the system.
The investigation by Lord Evans of Weardale, chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, was commissioned after the Greensill scandal, which saw former prime minister David Cameron escaping punishment, despite privately lobbying ministers in efforts to secure access to an emergency coronavirus loan scheme for Greensill before its collapse.
Mr Cameron did not face retribution as he was classified as a company employee, but he would under the new changes. The inquiry into the rules and systems governing standards of conduct in public office is the biggest of its kind in years.
According to the Upholding Standards in Public Life report, four areas require attention after polling and focus group research showed the public thinks MPs and ministers have “poor ethical standards”.
The areas are: the regulation of the Ministerial Code needs greater independence; the scope of the Business Appointment Rules should be expanded and the rules should be enforced through legal arrangements; reforms to the powers of the Commissioner for Public Appointment; transparency around lobbying requiring better co-ordination and more consistent publication by the Cabinet Office.
Lord Evans, who previously served as the director of MI5, said: “The arrangements to uphold ethical standards in government have come under close scrutiny and significant criticism in recent months. Maintaining high standards requires vigilance and leadership.
“We believe our recommendations point to a necessary programme of reform to restore public confidence in the regulation of ethical standards in government.”
Last year, Sir Alex Allan resigned as Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser after the Prime Minister refused to sack Home Secretary Priti Patel, despite a formal investigation finding evidence she had bullied civil servants and breached the ministerial code. Under Lord Evans’ plans, the adviser would be able to initiate investigations and have the authority to “determine” breaches of the code.
Some of the sanctions the Prime Minister may issue include apologies, fines and asking for a minister’s resignation. The reforms would also see the Advisory Committee on Business
Appointments (ACOBA) and Government departments being able to issue a lobbying ban of up to five years in cases where an official had a particularly senior role, or where contacts made or privileged information received will remain relevant after two years (the current maximum ban).
The report said the Government should also set out what the consequences for any breach of contract will be, adding: “Possible options for sanctions may include seeking an injunction prohibiting the uptake of a certain business appointment, or the recouping of a proportion of an office holder’s pension or severance payment.”
Deputy leader Angela Rayner said Labour welcomes the report, adding: “Boris Johnson and his Conservative colleagues’ actions have repeatedly undermined standards in our public life.”