The UK government is overhauling its standards regime by establishing a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission, replacing the much-criticized Acoba watchdog.
Under the new rules, ministers who breach conduct standards or serve less than six months will lose their severance pay, aiming to end costly 'golden goodbyes' and restore public trust. Financial penalties will be introduced for ex-ministers who break lobbying rules, and the new commission will have stronger enforcement powers. The reforms are part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to clean up public life and increase accountability in government.
While the changes have been welcomed by transparency advocates, some argue that even tougher, legally binding rules are still needed.
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