Watchdog demand over ministers’ standards
Labour would introduce an independent watchdog able to launch investigations and demand the sacking of ministers under plans to prevent corruption and protect taxpayers' money.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner is committing the party to accept the findings of its proposed "integrity and ethics commission" as binding rather than overrule them.
She argues the existing system is "broken" because Boris Johnson can reject findings that Cabinet members have broken the ministerial code, as he did with Home Secretary Priti Patel.
To replace the current "alphabet soup of different committees and advisers", thewatchdogwouldreplace the "toothless" Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) that advises ministers on postgovernment jobs.
Former ministers would be banned from lobbying, consultancy or any paid work relating to their old roles for at least five years under the plans if Labour seized No 10.
The watchdog would also have powers to impose financial sanctions on former ministers who break the rules to close the "revolving door" between public office and lucrative roles for firms they used to regulate.
Ms Rayner will set out the party's plans to tackle sleaze in Westminster during a speech today as the Conservatives continue to be battered by a standards row.
"The current regime is no longer working precisely because we have a Prime Minister who is shameless in breaking the rules and won'tenforceconsequences on others who break them," she is set to tell an Institute for Government event.