Question Author
From the Institute For Government website.
Various groups, including the Committee on Standards in Public Life[5], the Labour Party[6] and the Institute for Government has called for the independent adviser to be able to initiate his own investigations into potential breaches of the ministerial code, as without this power the role is not sufficiently independent from the prime minister. The Institute has also argued that the adviser should be able to publish the findings of any investigations independently.
When he appointed Lord Geidt the prime minister expressly rejected these recommendations, saying that ‘I cannot and would not wish to abrogate the ultimate responsibility for deciding on an investigation into allegations concerning ministerial misconduct. That vital responsibility is quite properly mine alone’.[7]
In May 2022, prime minister Boris Johnson published an updated ministerial code. [8] On 14 June Geidt appeared before Parliament's Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. He resigned the following day.