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Prime Minister accused of ‘blatantly corrupt move’ after changes are made to the Ministerial Code

27 May 2022 3 minute read
Liz Saville Roberts

Liz Saville Roberts, leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Westminster has accused Boris Johnson of “a blatantly corrupt move” to destroy accountability after changes to Westminster’s Ministerial Code were announced.

Her comments were made after a UK Government policy statement issued today said it was “disproportionate” to expect ministers to resign or face the sack for “minor” violations of the code’s provisions.

Instead, it has been updated, giving the Prime Minister the option of ordering a lesser sanction such as “some form of public apology, remedial action or removal of ministerial salary for a period”.

It had previously expected that ministers should go if they were found to have breached the code.

At the same time Mr Johnson has drawn back from allowing his independent adviser on the code, Lord Geidt, to mount investigations into possible violations on his own initiative.

Under his revised terms of reference, there will be an “enhanced process” to enable him to initiate inquiries, but he will still require the Prime Minister’s consent before going ahead.

“Just days after feigning contrition in response to the Sue Gray report in Parliament, Boris Johnson wrecks the Ministerial Code to allow ministers, including himself, to break the rules,” Liz Saville Roberts said.

“This is a blatantly corrupt move to destroy what’s left of democratic accountability in Westminster.

“The fact that Welsh Conservative MPs continue to condone this shocking abuse of power is truly disgraceful. Boris Johnson must be removed from office.”

Debasing

Responding to the changes to the code, Labour’s Deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Boris Johnson of “downgrading and debasing the principles of public life before our very eyes.”

“In a week when Boris Johnson’s lies to Parliament about industrial rule-breaking at the heart of Government were finally exposed, he should be tendering his resignation but is instead watering down the rules to save his own skin.

“Once again, Boris Johnson has demonstrated he is not serious about his pledge to address the scandal and sleaze engulfing his Government or the frequent and flagrant breaches of standards and rule-breaking that have taken place on his watch.”

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “This is an appalling attempt by Boris Johnson to rig the rules to get himself off the hook.

“The Prime Minister shouldn’t be allowed to decide on his own punishment – with zero accountability.

“This is making him judge and jury in his own case.

“If the Privileges Committee finds Boris Johnson lied to Parliament, surely Conservative MPs will have no choice but to sack him.”


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Arwyn
Arwyn
1 year ago

The UK has become a laughing stock and Johnson appears hellbent on turning it into a banana republic. How can anyone now justify Wales’ continued participation in this utter farce? Gwynoro Jones posted a very pertinent old proverb:

Put a clown in the palace and he will not become a king. The palace will become a circus.

The UK is the Tories’ circus. It’s high time it was brought to an end.

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago

Is this the proof that was needed to prove we live in a dictatorship. People accuse Putin and Kin Jong Un of changing laws to suit themselves, and call them dictators, what is this, if not exactly the same type of manipulation of the rules of government, to enable Johnson to stay in power. Utterly devastating to a so called democracy. We need out, now.

roy
roy
1 year ago

UK is now officially a dictator ship.

Kenneth Vivian
Kenneth Vivian
1 year ago

After the cynical prorogation fiasco supported by the fascist establishment and the save democracy has careered inexorably down a slurry slope. What value now to a concept of a United kingdom?

Mark
Mark
1 year ago

Will the police or the judiciary let me off now if I ” only break the law a little bit your honour”? Everybody is equal and all that.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
1 year ago

Johnson is trying to cover is arse in case of further misdemeanors against the ministeral code. He may think it’ll give him carte blanche do what he wants but the public will have the final say and they are not stupid – they’ll see further corruption and sleaze. In our case, in Cymru, we don’t need to put up with this rubbish. We have a way out.

Llyn
Llyn
1 year ago

Truly shocking. This is how dictatorships are made, a steady attack on our rights and institutions. He’s made it harder for us to vote; made protesting more difficult and illegal; enriched and enabled his friends and made it more difficult to remove him.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

Ripping up the rule book to save a colleague who went in the end anyway was roundly condemned and reversed. This time, it’s only to save Big Dog, the only one on the hook who needs to benefit from it. Big Dog needs putting back on his leash and walking out of the chamber.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Tinpot dictator Boris Johnson and his Conservative idiocracy is the most corrupt government in British political history. He hasn’t moved the goalposts regarding the Ministerial Code. He’s bloody buried them!

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

And the sad part is, he is doing it in the open, brazenly, with the support of Tory MP’s.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago
Reply to  Gareth

You’re right. And the Tory party, like the Republican party in America, has become a cult.

Cynan
Cynan
1 year ago

Utterly and completely disgusting. Where is the public uproar at this foul humunculus that is dismantling democracy in what’s left of the crumbling union?
No house vote? No “referendum” call from Hart?
Let’s not follow due process either. Let’s just declare our independence and be done

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago

They all laughed at me when I compared the Internal Markets Bill to the 1933 Nazi Ennabling Acts but this latest removal of responsibility is just cover.

Today it was revealed that Priti Patel’s Temporary UK Agriculture visa scheme is as much a debt bondage scam as any Arab state feudalism. We have to get out of this union for the sake of our souls if nothing else

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