Keir Starmer’s proposed new ethics and integrity commission may not be a completely new regulator but rather a rebranded combination of existing watchdogs under a single “umbrella” framework, according to government sources. A year after the Labour Party’s manifesto promise, ministers are considering creating a new oversight structure rather than establishing one from scratch. They are also contemplating the abolition of some regulators, such as the widely criticized Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), and redistributing its responsibilities.
Another possibility is formalizing the regular meetings of standards watchdogs, currently convened by the committee on standards in public life, chaired by former military chief Doug Chalmers. However, Chalmers has declined the role of leading the new commission. The process of developing a new ethics structure has been more complex than anticipated, and ministers are hesitant to establish another body when they are aiming to reduce the size of the civil service.
Tim Durrant, program director at the Institute for Government, parked that the Labour Party’s commitment to creating an ethics and integrity commission should prioritize how the standards system works rather than just creating a new organization. The government has received criticism for the time taken to establish the commission, which was initially championed by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Earlier this month, the public administration committee launched an inquiry to examine the lack of progress and hold the government accountable for its ethics commitments. The government claims to be committed to upholding the highest standards in public life and has taken steps to improve probity and transparency, including introducing a new ministerial code and strengthening the terms of reference for the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/29/starmer-promised-ethics-commission-may-repackage-existing-regulators
