Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser has threatened to resign over the lockdown parties scandal after concluding that there are “legitimate” questions about whether the PM broke the ministerial code.
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Lord Geidt threatened to quit during a discussion with the PM yesterday morning unless he issued a public explanation about his conduct, reported The Times.
Although Johnson responded with a public letter, explaining his actions and claiming that his breach of the rules was “unwitting”, a source said that Geidt remained “60/40” in favour of standing down.
What does an ethics adviser do?
The position comes with a series of responsibilities, including scrutinising all interest declarations from ministers, providing advice to ministers on how to handle their interests, and overseeing the production of a statement of ministers’ interests twice a year, said The National.
If a minister is alleged to have breached the ministerial code, the prime minister can refer the matter to his independent adviser on ministers’ interests.
However, even if the independent adviser concludes there has been a breach of code, the decision on whether to keep that minister in their post remains solely with the PM. Sometimes this can enrage the adviser.
For instance, said the Daily Mail, Geidt’s predecessor, Sir Alex Allan, “stormed off” after Johnson found that Priti Patel had not breached the code, despite Allan’s conclusion that she had not “consistently met the high standards expected of her”.
Who is Geidt?
Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, and Glenalmond College.
After serving in the Army and Foreign Office, he spent several years working for the Royal Family. He worked as assistant private secretary to the Queen, then deputy private secretary, before becoming the Queen’s main private secretary from 2007 to 2017. He was described by author Tina Brown as “one of the Queen’s most formidably competent private secretaries”.
After leaving Buckingham Palace he was made a lord, receiving the title Baron Geidt of Crobeg, before being appointed as Johnson’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests.
What has he done in the role?
Geidt has presided over a period of considerable political turbulence for the government. After exactly one month in the role, he published a report on allegations surrounding the financing of refurbishments made to 11 Downing Street, reported The Guardian.
He concluded that although it was “unwise” for Johnson to have proceeded with refurbishments without “more rigorous regard for how this would be funded”, the PM did not breach the Ministerial Code.
The Observer columnist Nick Cohen described Geidt as “credulous” for believing Johnson’s account, adding that the adviser “cuts a pathetic figure”. In the House of Commons, Labour MP Chris Bryant described Geidt’s reputation as “tarnished” by his involvement with Johnson.
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