Labour has demanded an investigation into breaching the Ministerial Code following revelations
of his relationship with someone he appointed as a government
adviser and departmental director, after the Prime Minister said
that he considered the matter “closed”.
Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster has written to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary
and the government’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests
demanding the investigation.
Rayner has accused the Health Secretary of appearing to have
committed a breach of the Ministerial Code, which should result
in his removal from his post as Health Secretary.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Full text of letter
Dear Prime Minister
Cc: , Independent
Adviser on Ministers’ Interests; , Cabinet
Secretary
I am writing to you regarding the Health Secretary. As you know,
he has already been found to have breached the Ministerial Code
regarding a company that he part-owns with his sister and was
awarded NHS approved supplier status. Earlier this week I wrote
to you regarding a potential further breach of the Ministerial
Code when he promoted a private healthcare company without
declaring that the company’s shareholders had made financial
donations both to himself personally and to the Conservative
Party.
News reports today suggest that he has now failed to declare that
he was engaged in a relationship with someone who he personally
appointed at taxpayers’ expense to serve as an adviser, and
subsequently a Non-Executive Director, at the Department of
Health and Social Care.
Such a failure would appear to be a further breach of the
Ministerial Code, which in these circumstances should surely
result in his removal from office.
If you are not prepared to act on your own initiative as Prime
Minister, I would urge you to instruct your Independent Adviser
to immediately investigate the Health Secretary’s conduct and his
apparent breach of the Ministerial Code. Any documents,
correspondence and the findings of this investigation should be
published in full.
Given the public interest in this matter I will be making this
letter public.
Yours Sincerely
Rt Hon
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
