Government officials who break the “ministerial code” with ethical guidelines will no longer be expected to automatically resign or be fired, the government said in London on Friday.
It was “disproportionate” if they had to lose their jobs for “minor” offenses. Instead, the prime minister could order some sort of public apology or a temporary salary suspension, it said.
The “Partygate” investigation report blames the political leadership around Johnson for a celebration culture in Downing Street that tolerated illegal lockdown parties. Johnson had announced that he would take full responsibility, but he ruled out resigning. A parliamentary committee will soon examine whether the prime minister lied to parliament about the scandal. According to the Ministerial Code, if a member of the government lies, he or she must resign or be fired.
In addition, Johnson blocked the possibility of an independent ethics adviser launching its own investigation into the prime minister. This still requires the approval of the head of government. “In order to reflect the prime minister’s accountability for the conduct of the executive branch, it is important that the prime minister retains a role in making decisions about investigations,” the statement said. The Daily Mirror newspaper criticized Johnson for watering down the code of ethics.
Source: Nachrichten
