27 June 2023 , 09:56
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Boris Johnson committed a "clear and unambiguous" breach of ministerial rules by taking up a new role writing a column for the Daily Mail, a Parliamentary watchdog has ruled.
The Office of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) has delivered the damning verdict as it called for a complete overhaul of Government rules.
Former ministers are not permitted to take up or announce new appointments until the committee has been able to provide advice - a process Mr Johnson brazenly flouted.
In a letter to Deputy PM Oliver Dowden, chairman Lord Eric Pickles said Mr Johnson's case is a "further illustration of how out of date" the rules are, saying there must be sanctions for breaches.
He said that the committee was only notified after the newspaper had teased the fact it had a new columnist - and 30 minutes before Mr Johnson himself confirmed the new role on Twitter.
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Lord Pickles branded it a 'clear and unambiguous' breach of the rules (ExpressStar)Lord Pickles wrote: "This is a clear and unambiguous breach of the Government's Rules and requirements of the Ministerial Code. Mr Johnson is familiar with both."
And calling for urgent reform of rules around what former ministers are allowed to do, he wrote: "Mr Johnson's case is a further illustration of how out of date the Government's Business Rules are."
In a not-so-subtle dig at the former PM he wrote: "They were designed to offer guidelines when 'good chaps' could be relied on to observe the letter and the spirit of the Rules.
"If it ever existed, that time has long passed and the contemporary world has outgrown the Rules."
The letter adds: "What action to take in relation to this breach is a matter for the Government.
"I suggest that you take into consideration the low-risk nature of the appointment itself, and the need to reform the system to deal with roles in proportion to the risks posed."
In his first article in his new newspaper column - which is said to be part of a £1million contract - the ex-PM told a long-winded story about how a Cabinet member had "miraculous changed his appearance" when he lost weight.
He went on to say how he was suspicious the minister - who Mr Johnson chooses not to name - was going to have a stab at running for leader of the Conservative party.
It emerged earlier today the disgraced ex-PM has landed a new job as a columnist for the Daily Mail - just days after quitting as an MP over a damning Partygate report.