Boris Johnson has written to his own ethics chief, clearing himself of breaching the ministerial code over Partygate, after the adviser said there was a “legitimate question” about whether he had done so. “I have attempted to avoid the independent adviser offering advice to a prime minister about a prime minister’s obligations under his own ministerial code,” he said. In his letter to Geidt, Johnson said he had corrected the parliamentary record and had “followed the principles of leadership and accountability in doing so”. While Geidt is independent, the prime minister is the ultimate arbiter of the ministerial code, which sets out the principles that public servants should follow, including selflessness and integrity. The prime minister was criticised last week for declining to give Geidt the power to launch his own investigations.

Source: The Guardian June 01, 2022 09:01 UTC